TheFoodTasting

Desciption

don’t let the complex instruction fool you… it is simple, it’s just hard to find detailed directions. it’s really not a “science” like baking and pastry is, so fee free to play around a little! the important part is that you have everything prepared before you start to assemble with the dough, it can be finicky, but totally do-able! my mother in law is a purist and makes baklava with only walnuts, sugar, and karo syrup (and dough of course!). i wanted to experiment with a more complex palate and this is what i came up with! from researching recipes, it looks like baklava is holy to some people: “only butter!”, “only rosewater!”, “only walnuts/pistachios/etc.!” – ummm… calm down. it’s only a dessert! this is a recipe that i made by combining what looked best to me and what felt right at the time. it came out wonderfully so i wanted to let you know what i did…

Tags

#Time-to-make #Course #Main-ingredient #Cuisine #Preparation #For-large-groups #Breakfast #Desserts #Greek #Middle-eastern #European #Nuts #Lebanese #Turkish #Number-of-servings #4-hours-or-less

Steps

1. Syrup: on med-high heat add sugar
2. 1 / 4 cup of water
3. Pomegranate syrup
4. Orange juice
5. Zest
6. And cinnamon stick in to a high sided sauce pan
7. Dissolve sugar and bring to light boil
8. Immediately add honey and reduce to simmer for 10-20min
9. It will bubble up
10. But keep an eye on it
11. It should not get out of control if the fire isnt too high
12. Better a lower heat than a higher heat
13. Remove from heat
14. As in turn burner off and remove from burner too
15. Drip a few drops of syrup on counter / plate as it cooks and after it is removed from the heat
16. If it hardens when it cools
17. Add reserved water until drops tests shows syrup can cool and be easily spread on the plate
18. Do not return to the heat before you add water !
19. If the syrup then gets too watery
20. Put it back and the stove until its right !
21. Strain into bowl set aside to cool before pouring onto hot baklava
22. Butter: clarify butter over low to med-low heat until all water has boiled away
23. Remove from heat and skim off milk solids
24. Set aside
25. You may brown butter slightly for added flavor
26. Melt shortening if you run out of butter towards the end of the assembly process
27. The point is to dry the butter out
28. But shortening has far less to start it wont kill anything to use butter flavored shorting either
29. Its a matter of opinion
30. Remember: butter = better flavor
31. Shortening = better texture
32. Filling: pulse all filling ingredients in food processor until largest pieces are no bigger than a pea but not until all is powder
33. Assembly: heat oven to 400f
34. Prepare your pan with either parchment paper and / butter or spray
35. Unwrap phyllo and cut to the size of your pan
36. Layer 10 sheets of phyllo in this order: butter
37. Phyllo
38. Butter
39. Phyllo
40. Butter
41. Etc
42. Add 1 / 3 of nuts
43. Another 6 layers of phyllo then butter
44. Add 1 / 3 of nuts
45. Another 6 layers of phyllo then butter
46. Add 1 / 3 of nuts
47. Then the last 8 layers of layers of phyllo then remaining butter
48. I li