Baklava
CATEGORIES
INGREDIENTS
- 2 lbs Phyllo (22) (This is 2 packages)
- 1 lb Unsalted Butter
- 3 Cups Walnuts
- 2 Cups Almonds
- 1 Cup Pistachios
- 4 TB Granulated Sugar
- 4 Tsp Cinnamon
- 2 Tsp Mace
- 1 tsp Ground Cardamom
- 1/2 tsp Coriander
- 1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
- 2 tsp Fresh Orange Zest
- 1 batch of Lemon Honey Sauce
DIRECTIONS
- Grind all nuts and place in a medium sized bowl, add sugar, spices and zest and mix well.
- Set aside.
- Melt Butter in a sauce pan or in a measuring cup in the microwave.
- Set aside
- Unwrap your phyllo and unroll onto work surface.
- Cover with Plastice wrap and a damp towel to keep the dough from drying.
- Brush Pan with a little butter and lay down the first sheet, brush with butter and lay down the second sheet.... Continue this until you have layed down 10 sheets.
- Spread 1/2 of the nut mixture over the 10th sheet and sprinkle a little butter over.
- Brush your next sheet and lay it over (Butter side down) this will adhere it to the nut mixture a little better.
- Brush the side facing up and lay down your next sheet, continue brushing with butter and laying down more sheets until you lay down another 10.
- Repeat as above with the nut mixture, sprinkled with a little butter, and butter your next phyllo sheet, lay it down and brush the up facing side too.
- Continue laying sheets with butter until you run out of phyllo sheets.
- Using a VERY sharp knife, pre-cut your baklava about 1/2 way through either in squares or in diamond shapes.
- Bake at 350 for 50 - 55 minutes.
RECIPE BACKSTORY
The original recipe came from my mother; Then I gave it back to her 10 years later after I made my version for her Birthday a couple of years ago. I suggest getting the largest pastry brush you can find, you can layer this alot quicker if you can apply the butter in a couple of strokes. The faster you go, the less time you have for the dough to dry out. You will need a professional 1/2 sheet pan for this recipe.