I remember making this as a kid with my mother. It’s always been one of my favorite sweets. For some reason, I was under the illusion that it was extremely difficult to make, remembering how long it took to place and butter each layer just so, keeping the dough covered with a damp towel because it would dry out and become unusable. Nothing could be farther from the truth. It is actually incredibly easy to make! And, I have yet to dry out my dough even if I leave it uncovered while I work for a few extra minutes. Sometimes, I think my towel is too damp and actually makes the dough stick together and that rips and breaks it. But even then, with broken dough, the layers are forgiving and once it’s made, you never know if any layers are broken or if any had actually been pieced together.
I like using a mixture of pistachios and walnuts, but I feel that walnuts alone make it more traditional and walnuts are a bit more economical. You can use either or both. It’s totally up to you and your preference.
I made this for Rosh Hashanah this year, and it was so well received that I made it again for a bake sale and for my father in law when he came to visit us for the first days of Sukkot. On Rosh Hashanah, it is customary to eat sweet foods made with honey in hopes of a sweet year ahead. Considering how much Baklava I have made this month, we should have a very sweet year ahead! (And one that should be spent more in the gym!)
I hope you will have a sweet year ahead too. Make this, and you are off to a great start!
Ingredients
Filling:
5 cups walnuts, chopped
½ cup Superfine Sugar
1 tbs ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground cloves
1lb package Phyllo sheets, #5 (I prefer to use Kontos brand, but Apollo or other brands are ok as well)
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
Syrup:
2 cups, plus 2 tbs granulated sugar
1½ cup water
½ cup honey
¼ lemon, peel only
3 whole cloves
1 tbs Orange Blossom Water (available in Mediterranean Grocers)
Method
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large bowl, mix together the walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, melt butter or margarine in the microwave and set aside.
Set up your prep area by having your bowl of melted butter with a pastry brush to your side, a 9x13x2” pan in front of you and your sheets of phyllo dough covered with a damp towel on the other side of you.
Place one phyllo sheet into the bottom of the pan and brush with butter. Repeat until you have 6 layers. Depending on the size of the phyllo sheet, you may have to overlap the pan and fold back into the pan making a second layer with one sheet. Brush each layer with butter!
Sprinkle 1/3 of the nut mixture onto the phyllo sheets. Cover with a phyllo sheet and brush with melted butter. Repeat until you have 4 layers.
Sprinkle 1/3 of the nut mixture onto the phyllo sheets. Cover with a phyllo sheet and brush with melted butter. Repeat until you have 4 layers.
Sprinkle the last 1/3 of the nut mixture onto the phyllo sheets. Cover with a phyllo sheet and brush with melted butter. Repeat until you have 6 layers. Brush the top with butter.
Being careful not to cut all the way through, slice the pastry into 2”squares, (3 rows by 5 rows) then you can cut each square into triangles or just the center row. Try to leave the bottom layers intact so the syrup will soak up more efficiently. Also be careful if you are using an aluminum pan to not poke holes as you are slicing, or your syrup will spill out the bottom. You really don’t want to clean up hot, sticky syrup! It makes a big mess! (Trust me when I say this!)
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top layer of phyllo is golden brown.
While the pastry is baking, make the syrup.
Combine all the syrup ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly. Remove the cloves and lemon peel with a spoon. Keep the syrup hot over low heat.
As soon as you remove the pastry from the oven, pour the syrup immediately over the baklava.
Allow to cool at room temperature uncovered. Once completely cooled, you may cover with plastic wrap or foil or if you can’t help it, scoop out a piece and enjoy!
Homemade Baklava