Ingredients
Syrup:
3 cups sugar, or 2 cups sugar and 1 cup honey
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons light corn syrup (optional)
2 (3-inch) sticks cinnamon (optional)
4 to 6 whole cloves, or 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
Filling:
1 pound blanched almonds, pistachios, walnuts, or any combination, finely
chopped or coarsely ground (about 4 cups)
1/4 cup sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves or cardamom (optional)
1 pound (about 24 sheets) phyllo
dough
About 1 cup (2 sticks) melted butter or vegetable oil
Preparation
1. To make the syrup: Stir the sugar, water, lemon juice, and if using, the corn
syrup, cinnamon sticks, and/or cloves over low heat until the sugar dissolves,
about 5 minutes. Stop stirring, increase the heat to medium, and cook until the
mixture is slightly syrupy, about 5 minutes (it will register 225 degrees on a
candy thermometer). Discard the cinnamon sticks and whole cloves. Let cool.
2. To make the filling: Combine all
the filling ingredients.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 12-by-9-inch or 13-by-9-inch baking pan or 15-by-10-inch jelly roll
pan.
4. Place a sheet of phyllo in the
prepared pan and lightly brush with butter. Repeat with 7 more sheets. Spread
with half of the filling. Top with 8 more sheets, brushing each with butter. Use
any torn sheets in the middle layer. Spread with the remaining nut mixture and
end with a top layer of 8 sheets, continuing to brush each with butter. Trim any
overhanging edges.
5. Using a sharp knife, cut 6 equal
lengthwise strips (about 1 3/4 inches wide) through the top layer of pastry.
Make 1 1/2-inch-wide diagonal cuts across the strips to form diamond shapes.
6. Just before baking, lightly
sprinkle the top of the pastry with cold water. This inhibits the pastry from
curling. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300 degrees and bake until
golden brown, about 15 additional minutes.
7. Cut through the scored lines.
Drizzle the cooled syrup slowly over the hot baklava and let cool for at least 4
hours. Cover and store at room temperature for up to 1 week. If the baklava
dries out while being stored, drizzle with a little additional hot syrup.
VARIATIONS
Instead of brushing each layer of phyllo with butter, cut the unbaked baklava
into diamonds all the way through, drizzle with 1 cup vegetable oil, and let
stand for 10 minutes before baking.
Persian Baklava: Using the almonds
and cardamom in the filling: Omit the lemon juice and cinnamon from the syrup
and add 1/4 cup rose water or 1 tablespoon orange blossom water after it has
cooled.
Paklava (Azerbaijani Baklava): For
the filling, use 2 cups blanched almonds, 2 cups unsalted pistachios, 1/4 cup
sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Crush 1/4
teaspoon saffron threads and let steep in 3 tablespoons of the melted butter for
15 minutes and use to brush the top sheet of phyllo.
Makes about 36 small diamond-shaped
pastries.
Dessert Recipes
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