Baklava

Acadia*'s Note:

I love Baklava. Years ago our family went to a Moroccan restaurant to celebrate our wedding aniversary. We sat on big satin pillows on the floor and ate with our hands. The guys in our party enjoyed the belly dancers. We enjoyed a honey lamb dish with various fruits, nuts and vegetables. For dessert they served baklava. I don't know how authentic it all was but it was definitely something we enjoyed and remembered. This recipe came from a learning packet from the ACCC culinary school my DD trained at. Since the recipes are geared to culinary students, I have rewritten the directions in a more step by step version with approximate times added. I have not tried this yet, although its on my to do list. Purchase cheesecloth for this recipe to make a sachet.

• Total Time: 2 hrs 15 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 15

• 1 tablespoon lemon zest (no pith)
• 6 cloves (whole)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 3 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
• 2 tablespoons syrup (orange blossom)
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon (ground)
• 1/2 teaspoon clove (ground)
• 1/2 lb almonds (ground)
• 1/2 cup walnuts (ground)
• 1/2 lb pistachios (ground)
• 1 lb butter (clarified)
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 2 lbs phyllo dough (defrosted)

Directions:

1. To create a sachet out of cheesecloth, cut about a 6 inch square piece 3 layers thick.
2. Place lemon zest, cloves and cinnamon stick in the center of the cheesecloth square; bring the edges toward the center and twist them together. Tie them together with string, forming a little pouch also known as a sachet.
3. In a sauce pan, combine the water, 3 cups sugar, and orange blossom syrup together.
4. Add sachet to sauce pan mixture and bring to a boil, stirring frequently, on medium heat.
5. Reduce heat and simmer mixture for 15 minutes stirring frequently.
6. Remove sachet and allow mixture to cool to room temperature.
7. Mix the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, ground cinnamon, ground cloves and nuts together (set aside).
8. In another sauce pan, melt pound of butter (reserving teaspoon butter) remove from heat and strain to make clarfied butter.
9. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
10. On a jelly roll pan, grease pan with the reserved teaspoon of butter.
11. Lay a sheet of phyllo dough out flat on pan, and paint it with clarified butter.
12. Then place another sheet on top of the first and paint it with butter.
13. Do the same thing, six more times, until 8 layers are on top of each other.
14. Sprinkle a handful of nut mixture over buttered phyllo dough evenly.
15. Add two more sheets of buttered phyllo dough on top of nut mixture.
16. Then add another handful of nuts and sprinkle over buttered phyllo sheet. Do the same thing until you have 8 sheets of phyllo dough left.
17. Place the last eight sheets on top of the nuts, painting them each with the butter.
18. Cut the baklava into either diamond or square shapes. Make sure the knife cuts through the bottom phyllo sheet.
19. Paint tops of baklawa with remaining butter.
20. Bake baklava for 45 minutes or until golden and flaky.
21. Remove from oven and drizzle cooled syrup over entire pastry.
22. Enjoy!