Photo: Baklava Recipe
Ingredients
For the Baklava:
- 1 pound pistachios and/or walnuts, coarsely ground, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
- 1 cup ground zwieback crackers or breadcrumbs
- 4 sticks unsalted butter, melted
- 16 sheets phyllo dough (thawed, if frozen), cut in half
For the Syrup:
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 6-to-8-ounce jar honey
- 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Directions
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Combine the nuts, cinnamon and ground crackers in a bowl.
Brush a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with some of the butter. Layer 10 pieces of phyllo in the dish, brushing each piece with butter before adding the next (keep the remaining dough covered with a damp towel). Sprinkle a quarter of the nut mixture over the dough. Layer 4 pieces of phyllo on top, brushing each with butter before adding the next; sprinkle with another quarter of the nut mixture. Add 4 more phyllo pieces on top, brushing each with butter, then add another quarter of the nut mixture, 4 more pieces of phyllo with butter, and the remaining nuts.
Layer the remaining 10 pieces of phyllo on top of the nuts, brushing each with butter; brush the top piece with extra butter. Cut into the baklava to make strips, about 1 1/2 inches wide. Then make diagonal slices, about 1 1/2 inches apart, to create a diamond pattern. Bake until golden, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the syrup: Bring the sugar, honey and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat and cook, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice and boil 2 more minutes, then let cool slightly.
Pour the syrup over the warm baklava; let soak, uncovered, at least 6 hours or overnight. Garnish with nuts.
Photograph by Jim Franco
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By dana.scimeca_11...
Rockville, MD
on February 14, 2012
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This recipe was FANTASTIC! had never made baklava before. I came up with this wild idea that I'd make some for my boyfriend for Valentine's Day as a surprise.. I knew I might be getting myself in over my head, but, with 19/19 POSITIVE reviews and the list of ingredients being so short, there was no way I could mess this one up... And, I was right! ...I used mostly walnuts with a handful of pistachios and, couldn't find those zwieback crackers, so I went with plain, unsalted saltines. So easy to make, but I suggest sitting down while buttering the layers of phyllo, to avoid back pain like I just encountered. Other than that, everything was GREAT! I heeded the other reviewers warnings about the syrup being too sweet and only used about 2/3 - tastes PERFECTLY fine to me, but then again, I have a insatiable sweet tooth : This came out SO MUCH BETTER than I anticipated, it being the FIRST time I've ever made baklava! I strongly encourage ANYONE to try it!
By foodfanatic002
on January 05, 2012
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just tried the baklava. They are really good but I agree there was way too much syrup and it made some parts of the baklava too juicy. But maybe it will be different after a couple days.
By sunshadow909_16...
eugene, OR
on December 22, 2011
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Ok. Well, I saw Michael make this recently, on The Chew. So, I was inspired to make it for tomorrow night's Solstice Party. It's cooling as I write this. So far, I'm impressed. Follow the recipe and you'll have excellent results. One thing I noticed, most recipes suggest cooling the Baklava first, before applying the syrup. Oh well. I followed Michael's advice; however, I only used 2/3 of the syrup. It's still sitting in a puddle of syrup, but I imagine tomorrow it will be perfect. It's terribly sweet, so I can't imagine using all of the syrup. I'd be interested in following other viewers feedback. Also, mine baked in a gas oven for 40 minutes and was golden brown. Did not use convection, and would not recommend it. It will dry it out. Good Luck and Enjoy!
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