Baklava Recipe Sweets Dessert Recipes Easy Desserts – Baklava is a rich, sweet pastry dessert made of layers of Filo filled with crushed Pistachio (or other nuts) with honey, syrup that is absolutely AMAZING! Yes you can make this right in your own kitchen and here is what you need:
Walking the streets in the Middle East and Greece, I have had some of the BEST Baklava in the world. I have brought this recipe back with me to the USA so we all can experience this AMAZING dessert called Baklava.
Ingredients –
Main Ingredients:
- 1 lb. chopped Pistachios
- 1/2 lb. chopped Walnuts
- 1 lb of Filo Dough
- 1 1/4 cup of Unsalted Butter
- 1/4 cup of Sugar
- 2 teaspoons of Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/3 teaspoon of Ground Cloves
Syrup Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup of Rose Water
- 1 cup of Sugar
- 1/2 cup of Date Molasses
- 2 tablespoons Lemon Juice (Fresh)
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cardamom
Garnish:
- Pistachios
Here’s what Cha Do Instructions:
- Thaw the Filo Dough according to the directions (overnight may be required). When thawed, roll out the dough and cover with a damp towel to keep it from drying out.
- Set the oven to 350°F.
- Lightly grease one 9×13 pan with butter.
- In a food processor, chop the Pistachios into small, even-sized pieces.
- Separately follow the same steps for the Walnuts – keep the Pistachios and Walnuts separate.
- Mix the Pistachios with half the Sugar, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Ground Cloves.
- Mix the walnuts with the remaining Sugar, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Ground Cloves.
- Melt the Unsalted Butter and set aside.
- Place a sheet of Filo Dough into the greased sheet pan. Use a pastry brush to coat the Filo Dough with unsalted melted butter.
- Spread on a thin layer of the Pistachio mixture, then cover with two more sheets of Filo, brushing each one with butter.
- Continue to repeat while alternating with the Pistachio and Walnuts mixture and two buttered sheets of Filo until the nut mixture is all used up.
- Make sure the last layer (Top) is at least 4 Filo sheets thick. Make sure each sheet is individually buttered, including the last sheet.
- Use a sharp knife, make one slice all the way through, from corner to corner. Continue cutting, criss-crossing until you have a bunch of diagonal pieces.
- Sprinkle 1/4 of the pistachio (Garnish) over the top buttered layer.
- Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until lightly golden brown and edges appear slightly crisp. While the Baklava is baking, make the syrup. (Important) You will want the syrup ready to go the minute you remove the Baklava from the oven.
Syrup
- Syrup Time! Combine the Rose Water, Sugar, Date Molasses, Lemon Juice and Cardamon and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil then down to medium heat and let simmer for 8 minutes and slightly thickened. Take off heat and let the syrup to cool.
Finish
- Spoon the cooled syrup over the top of the your new FAVORITE baklava dessert right after you remove from the oven.
- Let it cool for at least 3-4 hours or more. This allows all of the flavors to become BEST FRIENDS.
- Garnish with finely ground Pistachios.
Let me introduce you to your new Dessert Go To…Baklava! Serve on a plate and garnish with chopped Pistachios!