Baklava
User Reviews
5
Baklava
Description
Baklava combines a blend of chopped nuts—either walnuts or pistachios—mixed with sugar and cinnamon layered between multiple sheets of phyllo dough, each brushed with melted butter. The layered phyllo is baked until golden and crisp. After baking, a honey syrup prepared from water, honey, sugar, and lemon zest and juice is cooled and poured over the hot baklava. This syrup permeates the flaky layers, providing moistness and a citrusy sweetness.
The dessert is characterized by its crisp, flaky texture from the phyllo and crunchy nuts balanced by the sticky sweetness of honey syrup infused with lemon. Baking the baklava in a straight-edged 13x9-inch pan helps maintain clean layered shapes that can be sliced before baking into diamonds, squares, or triangles for serving.
Baklava serves well as a rich dessert for special occasions and is often enjoyed at room temperature after resting several hours, allowing the syrup to fully absorb. Additional chopped nuts can garnish the top for extra texture and appearance.
Starting the honey syrup first ensures it cools fully before applying to hot baklava. Keep phyllo sheets covered with a damp towel while assembling to prevent drying and brittleness. Specialty honeys or flavour additions like orange blossom or orange peel can be added to the syrup for a twist. Extra phyllo dough can be saved tightly wrapped for other uses.
Ingredients
Honey Syrup:
- 1 cup water (240mL)
- 1 cup honey (340g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- lemon zest and juice of 1
Baklava:
- 1 pound nuts walnuts or pistachios (450g, chopped
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (50g)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 16 ounces phyllo dough thawed (450g)
- ¾ cup butter melted (170g)
Instructions
Honey Syrup:
- Combine water, honey and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the lemon zest and juice and remove from the heat. Let cool while making the baklava. (Be sure to make this first as the syrup needs to be fully cooled by the time the baklava is done.)
Baklava:
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Place the nuts in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Transfer them to a large bowl and stir in sugar and cinnamon until combined.
- Unfold phyllo. Trim to fit a 13x9-inch baking pan. Cover with a tamp tea towel to keep the dough from drying out.
- Brush bottom and sides of a 13x9-inch baking pan with melted butter. Lay a sheet of phyllo dough in the bottom of the pan and brush with melted butter. Repeat 9 more times, creating a layer of 10 phyllo sheets.
- Sprinkle and spread a third (about 1 1/4 cups) of the nut mixture evenly over the phyllo.
- Top with a phyllo sheet and brush with butter. Repeat 5 more times, creating a layer of 6 phyllo sheets. Cover with another third of the nut mixture. Repeat both phyllo and nut layers again.
- Top the nut mixture with 1 phyllo sheet and brush with butter. Repeat 9 more times, creating a top layer with 10 phyllo sheets. Brush with butter.
- Using a very sharp knife, cut the baklava into 2-inch wide strips. Cut into the same width strips again running diagonally to the first cuts, creating a diamond pattern.If any melted butter remains, Drizzle it all over the pan.
- Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown.
- Right when the baklava is removed from the over, immediately pour the honey syrup all over. (It should make a sizzling sound.) Let the honey syrup soak into the baklava for about 6 hours before serving. Garnish with finely chopped nuts, if desired.
Notes
- Prepare the honey syrup first and let it cool completely before pouring over hot baklava to allow syrup to soak well.
- Cover phyllo sheets with a damp towel during assembly to prevent drying and breaking.
- Use raw, unsalted nuts rather than toasted to control roasting and flavor.
- Slice the baklava into desired shapes before baking using a sharp knife for clean cuts.
- Rest the finished baklava at room temperature for about 6 hours to let syrup fully absorb.
- Extra phyllo dough should be tightly wrapped and refrigerated or frozen according to package instructions for future use.
- Consider adding orange peel or orange blossom water to syrup for additional flavor layers.
- A straight-edged 9x13 inch pan helps stack and slice layers uniformly.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 32pieces
Amount Per Serving
Calories 216 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 216kcal | 11% |
| Carbohydrates | 25g | 8% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 12g | 18% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Trans Fat | 0.2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 11mg | 4% |
| Sodium | 105mg | 4% |
| Potassium | 107mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 13g | 26% |
| Vitamin A | 136IU | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 2mg | 2% |
| Calcium | 15mg | 2% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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