Baklava...a great Christmas treat.

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Baklava...a great Christmas treat. I remember making this recipe for baklava when I was still living at home and going to college. I looked forward to the Christmas break...It was always so relaxing to bake and forget about school, exams and lab work. After finishing a semester of hard work, it was always such a joy to bake and try a recipe for the holidays. My Mom would be making the traditional cozonac, while my sisters and I would try our hand on other desserts, such as the Romanian holiday cookie called 'cornulete', filled with Turkish delights. After the cornulete were baked, they were rolled in powdered sugar...

But one year, I made baklava. It was a recipe that I had found in a cooking magazine and I decided to make it for our family that year. We all loved nuts and I knew it would be a huge hit... It turned out to be quite delicious! So I filed the recipe among my many favorite recipes and have kept it ever since. There are other variations to a classical baklava...some use breadcrumbs as a filler to the nuts, some use sugar in the nut filling, while others use different flavorings. Somehow, I like my version... the baklava isn't so dry as others. In the past, I have played around with the flavorings and adjusted the syrup to include more honey and less sugar. I am, however, posting the original recipe...so feel free to tweak the recipe to your preference.

As of recent, I have also tried making different shapes. This post will include how to make a baklava diamond and a baklava roll. The original recipe only makes the diamond shape and uses the whole package of phyllo dough. Since I wanted to show you how to make the roll, I used half of the phyllo sheets to make the diamond shapes and the rest to make the rolls. Please know that if you would like to do the same, the baking time will be much lower.... that's because you don't have as many sheets in the baklava as if you would be using the whole package. Just check to see that the baklava is golden brown...about 40 minutes or so. Don't let it burn.

These really aren't that difficult to make...even if your phyllo sheets get torn as you layer, just patch them up and you won't be able to tell the difference.

This is perfect for a large gathering...I usually cut them and place them in muffin/candy paper liners. These are best eaten at least one day after being baked, it allows the flavors to fully develop. Hope you enjoy...

You will need:

3/4 cup butter, melted

1 package phyllo dough

4-5 cups ground walnuts*

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 TBS lemon juice, (I usually add a bit more~like 2 TBS)

3/4 cup water

1 TBS honey( I usually add a bit more)

1 TBS rose/orange flower water, optional

melted chocolate/chopped nuts, for the garnish

* optional~ add some orange peel, cinnamon, nutmeg, or any other flavoring you like...

*You don't have to add so much nuts~ you can substitute some dried plain breadcrumbs for the nuts...

* I have used a variety of nuts as well~ try almonds, pecans, pistachios...

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 deg F.
• Grease an 13x9 glass pan. Alternately, you can use parchment paper, which I prefer. Set aside.

1. Chop nuts...more on the fine side than coarse.

2. Add any flavoring you like, I prefer orange peel, a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg. You can leave it plain as well.

(grating some nutmeg and mixing it with some cinnamon)

If you like you can add some dried plain bread crumbs. I always just use nuts. I use a phyllo dough pack that comes in 2 packages...the sheets fits almost in a 13x9 pan.

3. Brush each phyllo sheet with butter layering 5 at a time. Keep the sheets covered with a damp towel to prevent drying out.

4. Sprinkle with nuts all over.

5. Repeat layering phyllo dough and nuts, until all dough is used up. Keep in mind the amount of nuts you have so you don't run out...in case you do, you can always chop some more nuts. You should end up with the phyllo dough on top.
6. Brush the top layer with melted butter.
7. Cut through the layers diagonally and then horizontally to form diamond shapes.

Be careful as you cut, as the top sheets want to come off the nuts...press lightly with your fingers to keep it in place as you cut.
8. Bake for about 75 minutes or until nicely golden brown.

To form baklava rolls:

1. Take one( or two sheets, in case you want your roll to be thicker) phyllo sheet and brush with melted butter.
2. Using the longer side of the phyllo sheet, place a long kebab skewer (or you can also use a long knitting needle...even the back of a long wooden spoon).

3. Overlap the skewer with the edge of the phyllo sheet...about 1/2 inch of the edge.

4. On the overlapped edge, sprinkle with about 2 TBS of ground nuts.

5. Roll the baklava with the help of the skewer, just don't roll too tightly.

6. Take the roll with the help of the skewer to the pan. Wrinkle the dough off of the skewer and place in the pan.

7. Brush with melted butter. Repeat with remaining dough.
8. Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown...check after 20 minutes or so. You can cut the baklava rolls in 3 pieces or even in small bites.

To make the syrup:

1. In a saucepan, heat sugar, lemon juice, and 3/4 cup water on high heat.
2. Bring to a boil and stir until all sugar is dissolved.
3. Boil for 3 minutes without stirring.

4. Remove from heat, stir in honey and rose water(if using).

5. Cover and cool completely.

6. Take hot baklava out and pour cooled syrup over entire pan...I like to use a large spoon to make sure all of the baklava gets covered. You want to pour a cool syrup over a hot baklava~this ensures that your baklava stays nice and crisp and not soggy.
7. Let cool completely. I like to place the baklava in muffin/candy liners. This helps them no to get all over you and is a great way to transport them to a party or gathering.

NOTE: It is best after it sits a day or so...the syrup penetrates the whole pastry and becomes quite delicious. You can further decorate with a drizzle of melted chocolate and/or a sprinkle of chopped nuts.

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