Baklava
When made fresh with great ingredients, there is very little that rivals the delicious nuttiness, sweetness, and delicate crispiness of baklava. After too many disappointing store-bought baklavas, I decided to take matters into my own hands and was surprised how accessible baklava is to make at home.
- 18 oz nuts, chopped (an even mix of pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 large pinch ground cloves
- 16 oz packaged phyllo dough, thawed
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (up to 16 tbsp)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 cup honey
- 1 tbsp orange extract (optional)
- 5 whole cloves
- 1 lemon (juiced)
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Make the Honey Syrup
Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and heat stove-top, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Add the honey, orange extract if using, and whole cloves; stir to mix. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and let simmer for about 25 minutes. Remove syrup from heat and let cool to lukewarm. Add lemon juice. Remove the whole cloves.
- Make the Nut Mixture
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade, add your nuts of choice (pistachio, walnuts, and/or hazelnuts). Pulse a few times to chop. You can also chop the nuts by hand, but it will take a while to get to the size needed for this filling. Transfer chopped nuts to a large mixing bowl and add sugar, cinnamon, and ground cloves. Mix well to combine.
- Prepare the Phyllo Pastry
Unroll the thawed phyllo pastry and place the sheets in between two clean kitchen towels. This will help keep the phyllo from breaking while you work.
- Assemble the Baklava
Prepare a 9”x 13”x 2” baking pan. Brush the interior of the baking pan with some of the melted butter. To assemble the baklava, take one sheet of phyllo and place it in the pan. You can also do a bit of trimming using a pair of kitchen shears. Brush the top of the phyllo sheet with the melted butter.
- Repeat this process a few more times until you have used up about 1/3 of the phyllo pastry, each layer being brushed with the melted butter.
Now, distribute about ½ of the nut mixture evenly over the top layer of phyllo.- Continue assembling the baklava, one sheet of phyllo pastry at a time using another 1/3 of the phyllo. Again, brush each layer with a bit of the melted butter.
- Distribute the remaining ½ of the nut mixture evenly over the top layer of phyllo.
- Finish the remaining 1/3 of the phyllo pastry following the same process, laying one folded sheet at a time and brushing each layer with melted butter. Brush the very top sheet of phyllo with butter.
- Cut the Baklava Pastry Into Pieces
Using a sharp knife, cut the pastry into 24 diamond shaped pieces (you can get up to 36 smaller pieces). You do not need to cut all the way through, just ensure the top few layers of phyllo are separated to prevent breakages once the dough is cooked and brittle.
- Bake the Baklava
Place the baking dish on the middle rack of your heated oven. Bake anywhere from 35 to 45 minutes or until the top of the baklava turns golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Pour Syrup Over Hot Baklava
As soon as you remove the baklava from the oven, pour the cooled syrup all over the hot baklava.
- Cool Completely
Allow baklava to sit for a few hours before serving or for at least 1 hour. Cut through the earlier marked pieces. Serve with an optional garnish of chopped pistachios.
Cook's Tip: For nuts, I typically use a 50-50 mix of pistachios and walnuts, but adding in hazelnuts would be a wonderful addition.
Cook's Tip: For the syrup, I recommend using the best tasting honey you can find, as that gives this dessert so much of its flavor. A local wild honey has made the best tasting baklava in my opinion.
Cook’s Tip: Before you begin thaw the baklava pastry package in the fridge overnight (review package instructions). Take it out of the fridge 1 hour before you start.
Cook’s Tip: To save time, while the syrup is simmering begin to assemble the baklava.
Let Baklava Sit a While Before Serving: Make sure baklava sits cools completely before serving. Baklava is even better the next day when it’s had time to absorb the syrup.
Storage and Freezer Instructions: Be sure baklava is completely cool before storing. Cover it very well and store it at room temperature the first night, if you like. To store for a longer period, transfer the baklava to airtight glass containers and leave at room temperature or in the fridge for a few days or freeze for later use. Thaw frozen baked baklava in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a few hours before serving.