HEAVENLY BAKLAVA (with honey)
A delicious treat packed with walnuts, pistachios, butter, and honey
This heavenly baklava is a luxurious, juicy, and delicious homemade dessert, packed with walnuts, pistachios, spices, and butter, and sweetened with honey. Once you make it and taste the crunchy buttery phyllo dough layered with luxurious nuts and honey, you will understand that homemade is always superior to store-bought. Simply, because you control all the ingredients (and can always adapt them to your preferences). Baklava is usually made in large batches, so it is a perfect go-to dessert for large gatherings, celebrations, and special occasions. It keeps perfectly for up to 7 days at room temperature or in the fridge, and can even be frozen.
Baklava has ancient roots and different cultures might have influenced its origin. During the Assyrian Empire, people made layered flatbreads with chopped nuts in between, the Ancient Greeks and Romans made a “placenta cake” - a cheesecake with many layers of dough filled with cheese, honey, flavored with bay leaves, and the Medieval Persians made “lauzinaj” - filling thin pastry dough with a mixture of ground almond, or other nuts like pistachio and walnut, rosewater, and sometimes luxury flavorings like mastic, ambergris, or musk. However, the earliest version of baklava as we know it today came around 500 years ago, during the Ottoman Empire.
During the zenith of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century, baklava was spread far and wide along the trade routes, becoming a staple dessert across the Middle East and Mediterranean. As a result, different variations emerged based on the ingredients available locally. In Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Serbia, baklava is made with walnuts and sugar syrup, but in Armenia, it is made with cinnamon and cloves. In Algeria and Lebanon, the syrup is typically flavored with orange blossom water, whereas in Iran, rosewater and cardamom are preferred. The honey-lemon syrup is the go-to in Greece. Today, baklava is an important part of the culture and culinary identity of many places and nations often dispute fiercely about its origins.
For some reason, I always end up making baklava for Easter. It became a tradition already, without knowing about its strong religious roots. It was thus intriguing to read that the Greeks make baklava with 33 layers of dough, which refers to 33 years of Christ. Traditionally it is baked for Lent using up to 40 layers of dough to represent 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter. Those 40 days symbolize a time of reflection and spiritual growth. 40 layers for 40 days of Lent representing the 40 days that Christ spent in the desert. Most often it is thus traditionally baked for Easter or Christmas. It is also a common dessert during Ramadan and Eid ul-Fitr.
Who would have thought that I’m so traditional? Joking aside, baklava is a delicious treat that will keep a large gathering happy and asking for more. Another great day to bake baklava is November 17th, the National Baklava Day. Either way, any reason you can think of is a great excuse to indulge in this delicious homemade dessert.
If you think baklava needs any special skills or is difficult to make, let me assure you that it is an easy dessert to prepare, and not too time-consuming. Especially, if you are using store-bought phyllo dough.
Ingredients:
1 package (500 g) phyllo pastry sheets
250 g butter (clarified)
Filling:
700 g walnuts
100 g pistachios
2 Tablespoon cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon gingerbread spice
250 g butter (clarified)
Honey syrup:
300 g honey
200 g water
grated lemon peel of 1 untreated lemon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 whole cloves
3 cinnamon sticks
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
Extra pistachios (about 100 g) to garnish and sprinkle on top. If you like cardamom, add some on top as well.
Preparation:
Clarified butter: Cut all the butter into cubes and melt in a saucepan over low heat. Do not stir, as the solids will collect on the bottom! When it’s melted, skim off the foam on the top. Pour the clear butter into a bowl, leaving the solids behind. Finally, pour the last bit over the cheesecloth or a coffee filter through a strainer to strain out all the clarified butter.
Honey syrup: combine all the ingredients minus the honey and lemon juice, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, so the spices infuse the water. Remove from heat. Remove cloves and cinnamon stick, add lemon juice and honey, and stir until well combined. Set aside.
Walnut filling: take shelled walnuts and grind them in a mixer, you might need to do it in more batches. Repeat with shelled pistachios. Combine ground walnuts, pistachios, half of the clarified butter, and spices in a medium bowl. Stir well until nicely combined.
MAKING THE BAKLAVA
Grease a large 30 x 35 cm (11 x 13-inch) baking sheet with butter. Preheat the oven to 175˚C (347˚F).
Open the filo pastry. Cut the phyllo to the same size as your baking sheet. Cover the sheets with a damp kitchen towel to keep them moist and prevent them from drying out. Every time you take out a sheet, cover the remaining up again.
Add a sheet of phyllo pastry to the prepared greased baking sheet. Brush it generously with clarified melted butter. Repeat with 6-7 sheets of pastry.
Spread 1/3 cup of the walnut mixture over the phyllo. Add a few tablespoons of honey syrup on top, distributing it evenly.
Add a second layer of phyllo over the walnut mixture and brush each phyllo sheet generously with clarified melted butter. Repeat with 6-7 sheets of pastry.
Repeat two more times, until you have used all the walnut mixture. Top with the last phyllo sheets, brushing each generously with clarified butter.
Cut the baklava lengthwise into four long strips, approximately 5 centimeters (2 inches) thick, carefully cutting through to the bottom. Cut diagonally across the first cuts to make diamond shapes. Pour the remaining clarified butter on top distributing it evenly.
Place the baking sheet with the baklava into the preheated oven on the middle rack and bake for 40 minutes, then lower the heat to 160°C (320°F) and bake for another 20 minutes until the baklava is golden and crispy.
Remove from the oven and immediately pour the cool honey syrup all over the baklava. Cool completely for at least 4 hours. When cool, sprinkle ground pistachios (and cardamom, if desired) on top. Serve and enjoy!
NOTES ON THE STORAGE: Baklava keeps well in an airtight container for up to seven days at room temperature or in the fridge, and can even be frozen. If frozen, warm the baklava in the oven for 10 minutes, and it will taste crunchy and almost like freshly made.
SOURCE: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/the-sticky-history-of-baklava-180982771/
Is it hard to make your own phyllo? Do you have a recipe source?And can you use ghee in place of the clarified butter step?