Since she was about 6, every Christmas I have made baklava with my daughter Carly. It’s become one of those traditions. It seems no matter what, she will be here a few days before Christmas. She got married less than two weeks ago, but she was here today to make baklava.
It is not as hard as it looks. Two people make the assembly go quite fast. I typically lay out the filo dough in the pan and Carly “paints” the pastry. (When she was 7 or 8, she painted most of the kitchen).
Baklava keeps in the refrigerator for at least a week. Bring to room temperature (about 20 minutes) prior to serving.
Ingredients:
For the Syrup
- 1½ Cups granulated sugar
- 6 Tablespoons honey
- 1½ Cups water
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 Teaspoon orange extract (optional)
For the Pastry
- 1 Pound package of filo dough
- 1 Cup softened butter (not quite liquid)
- 2 Cups chopped walnuts
- 1/2 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1½ Tablespoons sugar
- Water in a spray bottle
Directions: Preheat oven to 350° F
First make the syrup by combining all the ingredients in a heavy saucepan. Start over low heat until sugar dissolves. Stir occasionally. Once the sugar is dissolved, raise heat and allow to boil until it’s thick enough to coat a spoon. This should take 2-3 minutes. Allow syrup to cool, then chill.
Brush a 12 X 18″ baking dish with some melted butter. Trim the filo sheeets so the fit into your dish. Place 8 of the pastry sheets in the dish, brushing the top of each with melted butter as you go.
Mix the nuts, sugar and cinnamon together and spread half of the mixture on top of the pastry. Place two more layers of the buttered pastry on top and then cover with the remaining nut mixture. Layer up the remaining pastry, brushing each layer with butter.
With a sharp knife, score a diamond pattern in the top. Spray (use a spray bottle) the pastry with water to keep it moist and prevent curling. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the pastry is cooked and the top is golden brown and crisp. You can increase the temperature to 400° for the last 5 minutes to help the browning.
Remove the pastry from the oven and immediately pour over the cold syrup. Leave the pastry in the pan to cool and when thoroughly cold, cut into the diamond shapes to serve.
Notes: If you pan is smaller than 12 x 18″ then don’t use all the syrup.
Here’s how to make the diagonal cuts.
Cut parallel lines 1/2 inch apart the long way and then cut the diagonals about an inch apart.
