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Baklava, the most famous Greek dessert, is made with nuts, spices, butter, and phyllo pastry.
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| What You Need: |
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1 pound (4 cups) blanched almonds or walnuts or a combination of both, finely chopped
¾ cup sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 pound phyllo pastry
3 sticks (¾ pound) unsalted butter, melted, for brushing phyllo
SYRUP
2 cups water
¾ cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
One 2-inch strip of lemon rind
¾ cup honey
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
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2. Combine nuts, sugar, and cinnamon. Keeping unused sheets covered with plastic wrap, place 8 sheets of phyllo pastry, one at a time, in bottom of an 8 by 14 by 2-inch pan, brushing each sheet with melted butter (see How to work with "PHYLLO").
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3. Sprinkle top sheet generously with ¼ cup nut mixture and cover with 2 buttered phyllo sheets. Sprinkle with ¼ cup nut mixture.
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4. Continue adding buttered phyllo sheets, sprinkling every second sheet with nut mixture, until, all nut mixture is used. Place remaining phyllo sheets on top, buttering each sheet.
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5. Cut Baklava into small diamond-shaped pieces with a sharp knife. Place a pan of water on the lowest shelf in oven.
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6. Place Baklava on middle shelf above the water and bake for 2 to 2½ hours, until golden, making sure that the water pan is always full.
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WHILE BAKLAVA IS IN THE OVEN, PREPARE SYRUP:
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1. Combine in a saucepan water with all ingredients except honey.
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2. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add honey, and simmer 5 minutes more. Remove lemon peel and cool.
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3. Remove Baklava from oven and pour cool syrup over hot pastry.
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NOTE:
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Can be prepared and frozen, unbaked. When ready to use, bake, unthawed, in a 300°F oven 3 to 3½ hours, or until golden.
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OPTIONAL:
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The top of each Baklava piece can be studded with a single clove for decoration and flavor. (You do not eat the clove.)
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