Baklava

 

Baklava (Persian Style)

Indulge in this divine baklava, crafted with crispy phyllo, crunchy toasted nuts, and aromatic ghee. Drizzled with a fragrant syrup infused with rose water and cardamom, it offers a unique flavor that's perfectly balanced—never overly sweet!

Ingredients

Pastry

16 oz phyllo dough thawed, follow package instructions

1½ cups ghee or clarified unsalted butter, 12 oz, see notes

Filling

⅔ lb walnuts finely chopped

⅔ lb almonds pistachios, or both, finely chopped

¼ cup sugar

2 teaspoons ground cardamom freshly ground from seeds

Syrup

1½ cups sugar

1 cup of water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons of rosewater

Instructions

Prepare Phyllo

Thaw phyllo dough according to package instructions. I thaw it overnight in the fridge, then leave it on the counter for 2 hours to reach room temperature.

My phyllo dough had 28 sheets that measured 17 x 12, which can fit a 17 x 12-inch baking sheet or be trimmed to fit. If using 9 x 14 sheets, just make more layers in a 9 x 13-inch pan, and avoid using deep baking dishes.

Make Syrup

In a medium saucepan, combine 1½ cups sugar, 1 cup water, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to low-medium and simmer for 5 minutes, without stirring. Add honey and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat, add rose water, and cool to room temperature. The consistency of cooled syrup should be between that of honey and maple syrup.

Pre-Assembly Tips

Keep the ghee always melted, and warm it up gently if it thickens.

Unroll the phyllo dough and place the stack of sheets between two kitchen towels.

We will layer baklava in the following order: 10 sheets at the bottom, ½ of the nut mixture, 6 sheets in the middle, ½ of the nut mixture, and 12 sheets on top.

Assemble the Baklava (Quicker Method In Notes)

Preheat oven to 325°F.

In a food processor, pulse walnuts a few times, until finely chopped. Repeat with almonds. Chop larger pieces by hand. In a mixing bowl, combine chopped nuts with ¼ cup sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cardamom.

Brush the bottom and sides of the baking sheet with melted ghee. Place one phyllo sheet in the pan and brush with ghee evenly. Repeat this process with 9 more phyllo sheets. Spread half the nut filling evenly over the phyllo sheets.

Add 6 more phyllo sheets, gently pressing down each sheet and then brushing with ghee. Spread the remaining nut mixture evenly. Top with remaining 12 phyllo sheets, gently pressing down and brushing each with ghee.

Using a sharp knife, cut the pastry into 2-inch strips, and then cut across diagonally to create diamonds shapes. Drizzle extra ghee on top.

Bake and Serve

Bake the baklava in center of the oven at 325°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Remove from the oven and pour cooled syrup evenly over hot baklava and let it soak uncovered at room temperature until completely cool. Let rest for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Garnish with ground pistachios and cut again before serving. Store at room temperature, lightly covered with a lid ajar.

 

Notes

Quick Baklava: Butter baking sheet, layer 12 phyllo sheets, then spread nut mixture and top with remaining 16 sheets. Cut into diamond shapes, drizzle melted ghee evenly over the pastry and swirl it a bit. Bake and pour syrup as in recipe above.

Ghee: Melt 1 lb. of unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir often and let the foam subside. The milk solids will settle at the bottom and turn toasty brown with a nutty aroma. Be careful not to burn them. Strain the golden liquid through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth into a small saucepan.

Make Ahead: Prepare nut filling, ghee, and syrup up to 4 days in advance. Refrigerate or freeze assembled baklava before baking. Thaw to room temperature before baking.

Storage: Keep at room temperature for up to two weeks, lightly covered with a tea towel or a lid placed ajar. It can be refrigerated, but it will harden a bit. Freeze in airtight containers for up to two months. Thaw at room temperature before serving. 

Elizabeth Kilbride is a Writer and Editor with forty years of experience in writing, including 12 years in the online content sphere. Author of 5 books and a Graduate with an Associate of Arts degree in Business Management, a bachelor’s in mass communication and cyber-analysis, a master’s in criminology with emphasis on Cybercrime and Identity Theft, and is currently studying for her Ph.D. degree in Criminology. Her work portfolio includes coverage of politics, current affairs, elections, history, and true crime. Elizabeth is also a gourmet cook, life coach, and avid artist in her spare time, proficient in watercolor, acrylic, oil, pen and ink, gouache, and pastels. As a political operative who has worked on over 300 campaigns during her career, Elizabeth has turned many life events into books and movie scripts, weaving interesting storylines through history. She also runs 7 blogs ranging from art to life coaching, food, writing, Gardening, and opinion or history pieces each week.

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