Baklava

Alright...so after 20 some years of watching my ma do this every Christmas (and of course, waiting anxiously for the finished results, after the torturesome buttery aromas wafting around the house), I decided to take a stab at it. Baklava can be modified in tons of ways, but I decided to keep it simple with the ingredients and taste. The next time I try this recipe, I'll definitely buy my phyllo dough in lieu of rolling it out. THEN it'll be perfect. I can't complain though, for my first attempt. So anyway...here's my little baking journey through baklava.

::gathering my raw materials::


Ingredients:

Phyllo (you can totally skip this and buy phyllo dough @ any grocery store--try international markets for the best prices)

2-2/3 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 tablespoon salad oil

Filling:

8 oz shortbread cookies
4 oz walnuts
1 tbsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 cup butter, melted



Syrup:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup syrup
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup water



Directions for phyllo dough:

Sift flour and salt into a bowl. Gradually add water, stirring to make a stiff dough. Turn onto a pastry board. Place the oil in a bowl and spread a little of it on the palms of your hands. Knead the dough with a folding and turning motion, adding more oil to your hands when dough begins to stick.


Continue until you have a smooth, elastic ball of dough and the oil is nearly all used. Then roll the ball of dough in the remaining oil to cover all sides, place a clean cloth over the bowl, and allow the dough to rest for a half hour or more in a warm place away from drafts.



Directions for filling:

While you're waiting on the dough, start on your filling. In a food processor, throw in your cookies, walnuts, cinnamon, ground cloves, and allspice. Set aside.



::back to the dough::
Separate 1/4 of the dough and roll to 1/4 inch thickness on a flat surface with cornstarch to prevent sticking. Put your hands under the dough, palms down and gently stretch and pull the dough with the backs of your hands, working your way around the table, until the dough is as thin as tissue paper. Do not worry if it hangs down around the edged of the table, or if some holes appear, especially around the edges. Cut off the thicker edge and save the scraps.


Walk away for 10-15 minutes to let your phyllo dry. This is a step I fudged, and ended up with delicate dough that stuck together in the corners. I used the scraps to fill in the gaps. Anyway, as carefully as you can, cut into about 4 squares (I used an 8x8 square pan). With a pastry brush, brush on some of your melted butter onto the bottom of the pan.

Put a layer of phyllo (carefully) into the bottom and generously brush with butter. Sprinkle your filling on top, and cover with another layer of phyllo dough.


Repeat this layering process until all your layers of phyllo have been utilized. Cut squares or triangles into the pan before you bake, and brush the last of your butter on top. Pop in the oven @ 350 F for about 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.



Cooking the syrup
Good idea to start this while you're waiting for your baklava to bake. In a saucepan (on low to medium heat), combine all the ingredients and heat until the syrup mixture slightly bubbles. Turn off your burner.


Remove your baklava from the oven. Allow to cool for an hour, and then carefully pour your syrup mixture over it. It's important to allow to let the baklava cool before you add your syrup, so your phyllo remains crunchy even after the syrup is added.




Allow to set for another 30 minutes or so, then cut and enjoy! I like to put in little cupcake cups for individual servings.


Note: again, baklava is one of those desserts where there's so many different modifications you can make with nuts, fruits, syrups, and baking methods. Some people like to roll it into logs and cut, and others cut into triangles. Either way, it's definitely fun. For the syrup, less is definitely more to maintain the crunch.