Baklava is a delicious pastry made with layers of phyllo dough, chopped nuts, and sweet syrup or honey. Here’s a basic recipe for making baklava:
Ingredients:
- 1 package (16 ounces) of phyllo dough, thawed
- 1 1/2 cups of chopped nuts (such as walnuts, pistachios, or a combination)
- 1 cup of unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1 cup of granulated sugar
- 1 cup of water
- 1/2 cup of honey
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- Optional: additional chopped nuts for garnish
Instructions:
- Prepare the Nuts:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Spread the chopped nuts on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for about 8-10 minutes, or until they are lightly golden and fragrant. Remove them from the oven and let them cool.
- Prepare the Syrup:
- In a saucepan, combine the sugar, water, honey, and vanilla extract.
- Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Then, remove it from the heat and let it cool completely.
- Prepare the Baklava:
- Brush a 9×13 inch baking dish with melted butter.
- Place one sheet of phyllo dough in the bottom of the dish and brush it with melted butter. Repeat this process, layering about 8-10 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each layer with butter.
- Sprinkle a layer of the toasted nuts evenly over the phyllo dough.
- Repeat the layering process with another 8-10 sheets of phyllo dough and melted butter.
- Continue layering the nuts and phyllo dough until all of the nuts are used, finishing with a top layer of phyllo dough. Be sure to brush each layer of phyllo with melted butter.
- Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the baklava into diamond or square shapes.
- Bake:
- Place the baklava in the preheated oven and bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and crisp.
- Finish:
- Once the baklava is finished baking, remove it from the oven and immediately pour the cooled syrup over the hot pastry.
- Allow the baklava to cool completely before serving, allowing the syrup to soak into the layers.
- Serve:
- Garnish with additional chopped nuts if desired.
- Serve the baklava at room temperature and enjoy!
Baklava is best stored at room temperature in an airtight container. It can be kept for several days, and some argue that it gets even better with time as the flavors meld together. Enjoy your homemade baklava!
