*** National Baklava Day!!! ***

[Um Safia]

Baklava is a rich, sweet pastry featured in many cuisines of the former Ottoman, Arab, and Iranian countries. It is a pastry made of layers of filo dough filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey.





The history of Baklava is very controversial - ask any Greek, Lebanese, Turkish, Syrian, or Persian & they will probably all tell you that Baklava first came from their country........well wherever it did come from, who cares as long as we get to eat it!








November 17th is American National Baklava Day. Why not celebrate in style, and make some delicious Baklava yourself? You know it tastes so much better when it's home made!





One thing I love about Baklava is that it's so versatile. You can play around with the fillings - swapping different kinds of nuts, flavour the syrup differently, use varying numbers of pastry layers (store bought or home made) & you can just about make as much or as little as you like! And don't firget that it can come in all shapes & sizes: cut into squares, diamonds, triangles or rectangles, rolled into cigars, formed into birds nests or just sliced into discs..........This is one pastry you can really have some fun with!














Some Great Baklava / Baklawa Recipes on 'Zaar:

Baklava

Greek Baklava

Baklawa - Syrian Version of Baklava

Citrus Baklava

Baklava

Simple Baklava (Giada De Laurentiis)

Baklava Mini Bites

Pistachio Baklava

Baklawa (Lebanese Version of Baklava)

Baklava

Traditional Algerian Baklawa / Baklava - Family Recipe

Thea's Baklava

Cream-Filled Baklava

Bourekakia (Baklava 'cigars')












All of the Baklava / Baklawa Recipes Listed on 'Zaar are available in this cookbook: Baklava & Baklawa







Here is a Step By Step Demo with plenty of photos to help you make your very own Baklava:

http://www.recipezaar.com/bb/viewtopic.zsp?t=230630