Long Beach Grecian Festival by the Sea Cookbook

Pasta Flora   Cook: 30-40 min Prep: 15 min Serves: 8   Pasta flora is a buttery short crust pastry typically filled with a preserve or jam.   3 cups flour 1 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 large lemon, zested 2 heaping teaspoons baking powder 1/2-pound unsalted butter, frozen 3 tablespoons cognac 18 ounces apricot preserves 2 eggs, room temperature    1 egg yolk Combine flour, sugar and baking powder. Remove butter from freezer and cut into flour until pebbly looking. Blend flour mixture with 2 slightly beaten eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and cognac. Divide dough, keeping 1/3 for lattice topping and 2/3 for the bottom of pan. Wrap the two rounds of dough in parchment paper or wax paper and place in the refrigerator for at lea...

  Baklav a Bake: 45 min Prep: 45 hour min Makes: 4 dozen   Syrup (may prepare day in advance)   3 cups sugar 1/2 cup honey 1 1/2 cups water 1 stick cinnamon 1/8 cup fresh lemon juice     Bring sugar and water to a boil in a small sauce pan (1.5 quarts) stirring until dissolved. Add cinnamon stick, honey and lemon juice and occasionally stir on simmer for 20 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick, cover syrup and refrigerate overnight. Bring syrup to room temperature in advance of preparing the baklav a .   Baklav a   2 pounds walnuts, finely chopped 8 ounces unsalted butter, melted 1 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons cinnamon 1 pound 13 by 17-inch phyllo, room temperature   In a large bowl, thoroughly mix walnuts, sugar and cinnamon. Brush the b...