Baklava

 

Baklava

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 baklava.

 

Baklava

 

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 bottom of a 13 by 17-inch pan with melted butter. Cover the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Individually, layer 6 phyllo sheets individually brushing each layer with butter and then layer 1/3 of nut mixture over phyllo. Layer and individually butter 3 more sheets of phyllo and layer another 1/3 of nut mixture in between; repeat one more time. Finish off with remaining layers of phyllo on top of nut mixture individually buttering each layer of phyllo including top layer (approximately 6-8 phyllo sheets). Cut all the way through the phyllo and nuts to make diamond shapes. Cut 6 evenly spaced rows width-wise and then cut rows on the diagonal lengthwise, every 2 inches. Bake at 350⁰F for 45 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately pour room temperature syrup over hot baklava. Let rest at least 4-5 hours  before serving.

Time-saving tips and a bit more...

1. Make syrup day in advance. Needs to be room temperature so time accordingly. It takes about 2 hours to become room temperature.

2. Prepare nut mixture a day in advance & take phyllo out of refrigerator:

•  May chop the nuts in a food processor;  some will be very fine, some a bit sandy and some a bit coarser - this is ok. I prep the nuts, sugar, cinnamon mixture a day in advance
•  May, also, take the phyllo out of the refrigerator about 24 hours in advance of preparing the baklava.

nuts, cinnamon and sugar mixture

3. Work fast with the phyllo so it doesn't dry out. Keep it covered with the phyllo paper  packaging wrap or cover with a damp towel. If it tears a bit, not to worry. It will bake together and you have so many layers with nuts, it all works out.

4. Clarify butter a day in advance. (not everyone clarifies butter, but it does remove extra water)

• Learned that some like to clarify butter  making the golden brown color more consistent. My mom and grandma never clarified the butter- never any complaints  from us. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGaeT2RdmLU

5. Suggest using a soft-bristled pastry brush when brushing melted butter on phyllo because it is softer to use than a silicone brush. It is not recommended to wash the soft-bristled brush in the dishwasher. Run some hot water over it, put soap on top of the brush and rinse it thoroughly for a few minutes. I store my soft-bristled brush  that I use for buttering phyllo away from the brush I use for a chicken marinade as not to pick up any other flavors such as oregano if the brush should not be thoroughly cleaned. 

I named brush Butter so I only use it for buttering phyllo

5. Try the the new pour over melt-butter method.

New Method of pouring butter over baklava (instead of buttering each layer of phyllo)

I learned from Dimitra's Dishes a this great to tip to pour the melted butter over the top versus the traditional method of buttering each layer. It tasted the same and very time saving. Otherwise, you would brush each and every phyllo with melted butter and  follow the same layering process.

1. Brush the bottom of pan with melted butter. 
2. Place 6 layers of phyllo down
3. Cover layer with 1/3 of finely chopped nuts (almost 4 cups)
4. Repeat layering with phyllo and nuts 2 more times. 
1. Layer with 3 sheets of phyllo and sprinkle with 1/3 cup nuts; repeat one more time. I like a lot of nuts. You can use less, if you like.
5. Place remaining phyllo on top of the nuts. Approximately, 6-8 sheets. The boxes of bought phyllo do not always have the same amount of phyllo per box.
6. Cut baklava all the way through before pouring butter and baking.
1. cut 6 evenly space  rows width-wise e and then cut rows on the diagonal every 2 inches length-wise to make diamonds. 9 rows on the diagonal (ruler helps for sizing along extra hands to hold the ruler)
7. Pour melted butter over baklava.
8. Bake at 350⁰F for 45 minutes until golden brown. 
9. Remove from oven and pour room temperature syrup over hot baklava.
10. Let baklava rest for at least 4-5 hours or overnight before serving.

Traditional Method of Buttering Each Layer (more work and tastes the same)

1. Brush the bottom of pan with melted butter. 
2. Place one sheet of phyllo in the pan and lightly brush with melted butter. 
3. Continue layering and lightly buttering phyllo until 6 sheets are reached.
4. Brush butter on 6th layer, too, and sprinkle with nut mixture.
5. Repeat process until all the nuts are used, reserving 6 phyllo sheets to finish. 
6. Finish by brushing each  remaining sheets with butter only.
7. Cut baklava all the way through before pouring butter and baking.
1. cut 6 evenly space  rows width-wise e and then cut rows on the diagonal every 2 inches length-wise to make diamonds. 9 rows on the diagonal (ruler helps for sizing along extra hands to hold the ruler)
8. Bake at 350⁰F for 45 minutes until golden brown. 
9. Remove from oven and immediately pour room temperature syrup over hot baklava.
10. Let baklava rest for at least 4-5 hours or overnight before serving.