Note: This recipe makes plenty, but keeps well in a resealable plastic bag for a few days. It could be cut in half (using just under one box of dough).
Ingredients
Syrup:
- 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 (1/8-inch thick) lemon slices
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 3 whole cloves
- 2 pounds coarsely ground pistachios
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 pounds unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 1/2 pounds phyllo dough, about 32 sheets
Directions
Combine all of the syrup ingredients in a 2 quart stainless saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Take the saucepan off the heat, remove the lemon and spices, and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the pistachios and 1 tablespoon of the sugar, to coat the nuts, in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Using the pulse method, process them until they are coarsely ground. Be sure not to over process the nuts because they will turn to paste. Remove the ground pistachios from the processor and place in a bowl and set aside.
In a saucepan, melt the butter slowly on very low heat. Meanwhile, thoroughly combine the ground pistachios, cinnamon, and cloves in a bowl. Take 4 sheets of phyllo dough and brush each sheet with melted butter, layering the sheets as you go. Once the 4 sheets are pressed together, sprinkle 1 cup of the nut mixture over the top sheet and roll, lengthwise, until you reach the end. Keep the roll as tight as possible without breaking. It should look like a long cylinder. Repeat with remaining sheets, 4 at a time.
Cut the roll into 2-inch pieces, and dip each into the melted butter and then place on a baking sheet. Place into the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and with a pair of tongs remove each piece from the pan, dip in the syrup, and place on a cake rack to drain. If the syrup begins to thicken, it can be reheated slightly. Serve in small cup cake cups on a platter.
* Professional Recipe
This recipe was provided by a chef, restaurant or culinary professional and makes a large quantity. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe in the proportions indicated and therefore cannot make any representation as to the results.














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By elisedavies21
Waynesboro, PA
on March 01, 2013
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This is a great recipe and tastes just like my yia yia used to make. While it is not as "wet" as traditional baklava, it's convenient, because it's more like a cookie that you can just pick up and eat. I needed to double the spices and sugar in the nut mixture for my own taste. Also mixed some of the syrup into the mixture to make it easier to roll.
By lindseyligett_2...
Strathroy, CANADA
on July 12, 2006
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Yummy! I cut the recipe to about 1/8, because this is HUGE, and used walnuts, because that's what I had. Still worked great, though. The only thing I missed versus conventional baklava was that the syrup didn't really get to soak into the pastries the way it does normally. However, they came together pretty easily, and make a very nice presentation.
By ongabe_1166988
gurnee, IL
on February 23, 2005
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IT"S GOOD EVERYBODY LIKE IT. THEY SAY IT TASTE LIKE THE ONE WE BOUGHT IN DETROIT MICHIGAN THRU A FRIEND, WICH IS VERY GOOD. NOT TOO SWEET BUT TASTE GOOD. THEY THINK I DID A GOOD JOB. ONCE YOU TASTED IT YOU CRAVE FOR MORE. I JUST HAVE A PROBLEM ROLLING IS IT REAALY COME OUT BIGGER THAN WHAT I BOUGHT. PROBABLY BECAUSE IT"S HAND MADE.
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