Golden Greek Baklava
- Ready In:
- 2hrs 50mins
- Ingredients:
- 13
- Yields:
-
36 pieces
ingredients
-
Honey Syrup
- 177.44 ml water
- 177.44 ml sugar
- 354.88 ml honey
- 2 inch piece cinnamon sticks
- 4 lemon slices
- 4 orange slices
-
Nut Filling
- 473.18 ml finely chopped walnuts or 473.18 ml ground walnuts
- 236.59 ml finely chopped blanched almonds or 236.59 ml ground blanched almond
- 177.44 ml sugar
- 2.46 ml ground cinnamon
- 1.23 ml ground nutmeg
-
Pastry
- 453.59 g package prepared phyllo pastry, leaves thawed if frozen (15x12) or 453.59 g package prepared strudel pastry dough, thawed if frozen (15x12)
- 354.88 ml unsalted butter, melted
directions
- Prepare honey syrup: In a medium-sized saucepan over high heat, combine 3/4 cup water and 3/4 cup sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.
- Add honey, cinnamon stick, and lemon and orange slices. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Strain; cool. Syrup should measure approximately 2-1/2 cups.
- Prepare filling: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, mix nuts, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Remove pastry leaves from package; cover with a damp towel to prevent drying out. In a 15-1/2x10x1-inch jelly-roll pan, place 2 pastry leaves, brushing top leaf with some of the melted butter.
- Sprinkle with a third of the filling. Add 6 more pastry leaves, brushing every other one with butter. Sprinkle with another third of the nut filling. Layer 6 more leaves, brushing every other one with butter. Sprinkle with the remaining nut filling.
- Stack remaining pastry leaves on top, brushing every one with melted butter; brush top pastry leaf with butter. Trim overhanging edges, if necessary.
- With a sharp knife, cut through the top layer on the long side making 8 diagonal cuts at 1-1/2-inch intervals to form diamonds. (Cut through top layer only; do not cut through all the layers.).
- Bake 60 minutes or until baklava is golden and puffy. Turn off oven; leave in oven for 60 minutes. Remove. Pour cooled honey syrup over hot baklava. Following diamond pattern, cut all the way through baklava. Place pan on wire rack; cool in pan so that baklava absorbs syrup.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
JackieOhNo!
Stormville, New York
I didn't start cooking until my early 20's, even though I come from a family of accomplished and admired home cooks. While I grew up watching my Italian grandmother in the kitchen, I remained uninterested in trying anything on my own. As a young lady, I was known for being particularly ignorant in the kitchen, with no idea how to even make a hot dog! All this changed, however, when I got engaged. I realized it was time to let my inherent talents out of the bag. At the time, the New York Times had a weekly column called The 60-Minute Gourmet by Pierre Franey. Each week, I would follow these recipes diligently, and taught myself to cook that way. From there, I began to read cookbooks and consult with relatives on family recipes. At my ripe old age now, I feel I know enough to put together a very pleasing meal and have become accomplished in my own right. Having an Irish father and an Italian mother, I'm glad I inherited the cooking gene (and the drinking one too!). One thing I have learned is that simpler is always better! I always believe cooking fills a need to nurture and show love. After being widowed fairly young and living alone with my dog and cats, I stopped cooking for awhile, since I really had no one to cook for. I made care packages for my grown son occasionally, and like to cook weekly for my boyfriend, so I feel like I am truly back in the saddle!!