Baklava

SUBMITTED BY: Karsta PHOTO BY: 0ePickle

"This Near Eastern pastry is made of many layers of paper-thin dough with a filling usually of honey and ground nuts. If you like honey, you'll probably like Baklava."

PREP TIME	30 Min
COOK TIME	30 Min
READY IN	1 Hr

SERVINGS & SCALING

Original recipe yield: 2 dozen

USMETRIC

About scaling and conversions

INGREDIENTS

1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
2 cups chopped pecans
1 1/2 tablespoons whole cloves
1 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup white sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup honey

READ REVIEWS (12)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Melt the butter over low heat. Pour 2 tablespoons of the butter into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan. Layer 3 sheets of the phyllo dough in the pan. Trim dough to fit. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of pecans over the phyllo dough. Layer 3 more sheets of dough, brush generously with the melted butter, and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of pecans. Continue dough -butter- pecan layers until pan is 3/4 full.
With a sharp knife, score phyllo dough to form diamonds. Press a clove at each end of the diamonds. Pour remaining butter over the dough.
Bake 45 to 50 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown.
Meanwhile, combine the sugar, water and cinnamon stick in a medium saucepan, and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the honey and simmer for 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat and discard cinnamon stick. Pour honey mixture over hot baklava. Let cool on wire racks. Cut into diamonds.
Pour honey mixture over hot baklava. Let cool on wire racks. Cut into diamonds.

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REVIEWS

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Reviewed on Jan. 26, 2004 by COOLGUTS

USE PISTACHIOs is the key to a more original baklava (according to my Turkish hubby). Walnuts are cheaper but pistachios definately make the baklava tastes better. Skip all those cloves and cinnamon, that stuff is for the Americanized taste. Taste the nut, butter and the good syrup. Here is my syrup: purified water 1 3/4 cup, a small rectangular 2 inch cinnamon bark, 2 thin slice of ginger, 2 inches lemon peel (yellow part only), a touch (approx 1 tsp) of lemon juice. Let all those things boiled and simmer until the liquid reduce to 1 cup. Add 3/4 cup sugar and stir until dissolve, 1/2 tsp pure vanilla, 1 tbsp orange juice (no pulp)and turn the heat off. Add 1/2 cup of honey. The syrup should be a light touch of golden color, and if you like you can put a 1/2 tsp of rose water or jasmine water. Just make sure the temperature of the Baklava and the syrup is not the same, one have to be cooler than the other or you will get some very soggy baklava.

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