Baklava.......how do i make it.......?..........?!
Answers: ........Hope that is how you spell it! Nuts,filo pastry and honey i reckon, but i want a "proper" recipe lol........Cheers in advance!
It does take some time and work to make homemade baklava, but it's definately worth it. There's just nothing like fresh baklava.
I linked my recipe with tips. I'm good about details, so I think it will cover any questions you have. If not, just let me know.
Have fun making baklava. It's definately worth it in the end. I can't begin to say how great it tastes made from scratch.
Its not easy- but it is worth it- enjoy!
Greek Baklava
1 pound unsalted (sweet) butter, melted (It really has to be butter, not a substitute)
1 pound filo dough sheets
1.5 pounds (24 ounces) chopped blanched almonds
1 pound shelled walnuts
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice or cloves
Thaw the filo before starting. Melt the butter.
Grind or chop together the walnuts and almonds, and mix together with the cinnamon, allspice or cloves, and sugar. Using a rectangular pan, preferably a 9x13x2, brush the pan with the melted butter.
Separate a sheet of the thawed filo. Handling it as little as possible, lay a sheet in the bottom of the pan. Brush it with butter. Fold it over if necessary to fit in the pan. Do this until you have about 10-12 layers. Then put a layer of the nuts and spices mixture on top of the sheet of filo, cover with a other sheet of filo, paint that with butter, and continue in this manner until you've used all of your filling. Top with about an equal amount of the filo sheets as you used for the bottom. If you're a little short or a little over, don't worry about it. Too many layers can get a bit gummy, however. Be sure each sheet is brushed with butter.
Cut across the completed baklava with a sharp knife, into triangles or diamonds. Bake at 350 for about an hour, or until evenly browned on top - think a nice golden color like some of the sunsets you saw in Greece.
Pour the cooled syrup (recipe below) over it and let it sit before serving. If you can bear to.
If you are like me, by the end of this I have filo dough in my hair and nuts stuck to me with honey syrup.
Syrup
2 cups honey (did you bring back any from Greece? shame on you if you didn't!)
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
2 cinnamon sticks (or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
1 teaspoon grated orange peel (or to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or to taste) (Optional)
Simmer together the syrup ingredients for ten minutes and strain. Set aside. A good time to make this is just after you've put the baklava into the oven
the best would be to visit
http://www.athens.com/
or
http://www.thebaklavalady.com/
It's really hard to make.....
keep that in mind... so when you're paying 3-5 dollars per piece at the restaurant, you know why...
i've made it once at home: never again!...
just a fair warning...
You will need:
Plastic Wrap
Towels
Zest Of 1 Oranges Removed In Large Strips
13-by-9-inch Baking Pans
Mixing Bowls
Nonstick Cooking Spray
Pastry Brushes
Saucepans
Serrated Knives
Strainers
3 c. coarsely chopped nuts (walnuts, pistachios, almonds and/or pecans)
1/3 c. honey
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. grated lemon peel zest
1 lb. phyllo dough
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juices
1 1/3 c. water
1/2 lb. unsalted butters
1/4 c. plus 1 1/3 c. sugars
1Step OnePreheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2Step TwoGrease the bottom and sides of a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with butter or cooking spray.
3Step ThreeToast the chopped nuts and then finely chop them.
4Step FourIn a small bowl, combine 1/4 c. sugar, lemon zest and cinnamon. Set aside.
5Step FiveMelt 1/2 lb. unsalted butter. Set aside.
6Step SixStack the phyllo dough on a work surface and trim it into 13-by-9-inch sheets. Set the scraps aside.
7Step SevenCover the trimmed phyllo with plastic wrap and a dampened towel.
8Step EightPut two phyllo sheets in the baking pan. Brush the top sheet with melted butter.
9Step NineAdd two more sheets and brush with melted butter. Repeat once more for a total of six phyllo sheets.
10Step TenSprinkle half of the nuts and then half of the sugar mixture over the six sheets of phyllo.
11Step Eleven Cover the filling with two phyllo sheets and butter the top sheet. Repeat as before, until there are six sheets of phyllo dough on top of the filling.
12Step Twelve Sprinkle the remaining nuts and sugar mixture over the phyllo.
13Step Thirteen Cover with the rest of the phyllo sheets, stacking them two sheets at a time and buttering the second sheet each time.
14Step Fourteen Brush the top of the assembled baklava with the remaining butter.
15Step Fifteen Take a very sharp, serrated knife and cut through the layers and make 2-inch diamonds or squares.
16Step Sixteen Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Bake until the baklava is golden, about 45 to 60 minutes.
17Step Seventeen During the final 30 minutes of baking, combine remaining 1 1/3 c. sugar, water, honey, lemon juice and orange zest in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
18Step Eighteen Strain the hot sugar mixture and pour evenly over the baked baklava.
19Step Nineteen Let baklava cool at least four hours at room temperature. Serve
i knw some of those recipes written above are kind of hard but i found one super easy for you.u use phyllo dough so its so easy ryt..
INGREDIENTS
1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
1 pound chopped nuts
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.
Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.
Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.
so have a nice cookin day :D: