Baklava is an enchanting and indulgent pastry that has captured hearts and palates for centuries. Originating from the rich culinary traditions of the Middle East, this layered dessert boasts a harmonious symphony of flavors and textures. Crispy phyllo dough envelops a delectable filling of chopped nuts, spices, and honey, creating a symphony of sweet and savory notes. Infused with the warm embrace of cardamom and the delicate allure of rose water, our baklava recipe elevates this classic treat to a new level of sophistication. But that's not all; this comprehensive article also features a tantalizing array of baklava variations that cater to diverse tastes and dietary preferences. From the traditional Turkish-style baklava to the unique pistachio-studded version and even a delightful gluten-free alternative, this article offers a culinary journey through the world of baklava. Whether you're a seasoned baker or a novice looking to explore new culinary horizons, our baklava recipes will guide you every step of the way, ensuring a delightful and rewarding baking experience.
Here are our top 6 tried and tested recipes!
BAKLAVA WITH ROSE WATER
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories dessert
Time 4h10m
Yield 32 pieces
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Make the syrup: Bring 2 cups water, the sugar and honey to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium low; simmer until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and rose water. Pour into a large liquid measuring cup or heatproof bowl and refrigerate until ready to use (or up to 1 day).
- Make the baklava: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 375 degrees F. Pulse the nuts, confectioners' sugar and cinnamon in a food processor until coarsely ground. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the vanilla and salt.
- Brush the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with melted butter. Trim the phyllo to 9 by 13 inches with kitchen shears (fig. A); cover with a damp towel. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo in the prepared baking dish and brush with butter. Repeat with 5 more sheets of phyllo, buttering each sheet. Scatter about 3/4 cup of the nut mixture evenly over the phyllo stack. Top with 2 more sheets of phyllo, buttering each sheet, then top with another 3/4 cup of the nut mixture. Repeat to make 2 more layers (use 2 sheets of buttered phyllo and 3/4 cup nut mixture for each layer), then top with the remaining 6 sheets of phyllo, buttering each sheet (fig. B). Scatter the remaining nut mixture on top.
- Cut the baklava into 32 triangles (fig. C). Transfer to the oven and bake until golden brown and crisp, about 40 minutes (tent with foil if the nuts are browning too quickly).
- Remove from the oven and pour the prepared syrup evenly over the top. Let the syrup soak in, at least 2 hours.
ROSE WATER AND ORANGE BLOSSOM BAKLAVA
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine the walnuts, cinnamon and sugar in a large bowl and set aside. In the bottom of a greased 9 by 13-inch pan, put 1 layer of phyllo and brush liberally with butter. Repeat 6 more times, buttering each delicate layer, until you have 7 layers of phyllo. Spoon 1/3 of the nut mixture over the phyllo and top with 5 more individually buttered sheets of phyllo. Repeat the process 2 more times and finish with 7 layers of phyllo. Brush the final layer with butter and bake until golden brown, about 50 minutes.
- While the baklava is baking, make syrup. Add all of the syrup ingredients to a medium pot and bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove the baklava from the oven and pour the syrup evenly over the top. Cut into squares or diamonds and serve.
EASY BAKLAVA
Einat Admony, the chef at Balaboosta, Taïm and Bar Bolonat, came up with a simplified version of baklava that was featured in "Food52 Genius Desserts: 100 Recipes That Will Change the Way You Bake." Instead of stacking individual layers of phyllo dough, Ms. Admony calls for rolling up the nut filling in the phyllo and slicing it into discs as you would cinnamon rolls, then baking and drizzling the slices with syrup. Like traditional baklava, they are shatteringly crisp, gooey and sweet in all the right places, but much less work. Her original recipe calls for raw peanuts, but roasted work just fine.
Provided by Margaux Laskey
Categories pastries, dessert
Time 1h15m
Yield About 50 pieces
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Make the syrup: Combine sugar, 1 cup water, honey, orange zest and cardamom in a saucepan. Simmer over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the rose water, if using. Let cool, then pour the syrup into an airtight container and refrigerate until chilled, or up to 1 day in advance.
- Make the baklava: Heat the oven to 350 degrees, with a rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir together melted butter and oil in a bowl, and set near where you'll be rolling the baklava.
- In a food processor, pulse the peanuts, pistachios, walnuts, confectioners' sugar, rose water, cardamom and cinnamon until the nuts are very finely chopped and the mixture is almost pasty.
- Lay 3 sheets of phyllo dough stacked on top of one another on the counter or cutting board with one of the short sides closest to you. Cover the unused sheets of phyllo with a damp kitchen towel as you work, or they'll dry out.
- Very generously brush the top layer of phyllo dough with about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the butter mixture. Spread a fifth (about 1 1/4 cups/145 grams) of the nut mixture on the bottom third of the phyllo dough and pack it down. Roll the 3 phyllo sheets together away from you to form a compact log. Keep the seam side down as you work on more rolls. Repeat with the remaining phyllo dough and nut mixture to form 4 more rolls. Place the rolls on the baking sheet and freeze for 10 minutes to make them easier to slice.
- Remove from the freezer and, using a serrated knife, cut the rolls evenly into about 1-inch slices. Arrange the slices, cut sides up and well spaced apart, on the same baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking.
- Remove from the oven. While still warm, carefully transfer the baklava and arrange snugly, cut side up, in a large serving dish (a 9-by-13-will fit most, but not all the rolls). Discard the orange zest and cardamom pod from the chilled rose syrup and pour the syrup all over the baklava. Let baklava cool completely before serving. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 1 month.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 186, UnsaturatedFat 9 grams, Carbohydrate 18 grams, Fat 12 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 3 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 45 milligrams, Sugar 11 grams, TransFat 0 grams
ALMOND BAKLAVA WITH ROSé WATER
Categories Nut Dessert Bake Almond Shower Party Phyllo/Puff Pastry Dough Pastry Bon Appétit Kidney Friendly Vegetarian Pescatarian Peanut Free Soy Free Kosher
Yield Makes 12 servings
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Stir 1 1/3 cups sugar, 1 1/2 cups water, honey, cinnamon sticks, and orange peel in saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; bring to boil. Remove from heat. Mix in rose water. Chill until cold.
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Brush 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan with some of melted butter. Mix almonds, ground cinnamon, allspice, and 1/3 cup sugar in medium bowl.
- Fold 1 sheet of phyllo in half to form 12x9-inch rectangle. Place folded sheet in prepared pan. Brush with melted butter. Repeat with 4 more folded sheets, brushing top of each folded sheet with butter. Sprinkle half of nut mixture over. Top with 1 folded pastry sheet and brush with butter. Repeat with 4 more folded sheets, brushing top of each with butter. Sprinkle remaining nut mixture over. Repeat with 5 more folded sheets, brushing top of each with butter. Using sharp knife, make 5 diagonal cuts across phyllo, cutting through top layers only and spacing cuts evenly. Repeat in opposite direction to form diamond pattern. Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes.
- Strain rose syrup. Spoon 1 cup syrup over hot baklava; cover and chill remaining syrup. Recut baklava along lines all the way through layers. Let stand 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.) Serve baklava with yogurt and remaining syrup.
- Available at Middle Eastern markets and specialty foods stores.
PISTACHIO BAKLAVA WITH CARDAMOM AND ROSE WATER
Make and share this Pistachio Baklava With Cardamom and Rose Water recipe from Food.com.
Provided by Boo Chef in West Te
Categories Dessert
Time 1h50m
Yield 32 pieces, 32 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- . For the sugar syrup: Combine syrup ingredients, except rosewater, in small saucepan and bring to full boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to ensure that sugar dissolves. Transfer to 2-cup measuring cup and set aside to cool while making and baking baklava; when syrup is cool, discard peppercorns and stir in rosewater. (Cooled syrup can be refrigerated in airtight container up to 4 days.).
- Nut filling: Pulse pistachios in food processor until very finely chopped, about fifteen 1-second pulses; transfer to bowl. Measure out 1 tablespoon nuts and set aside for garnish. Add ground cardamom, sugar, and salt; toss well to combine.
- To assemble and bake: Brush 13- by 9-inch traditional (not nonstick) baking pan with butter. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Unwrap and unfold phyllo on large cutting board; carefully smooth with hands to flatten. Using baking pan as guide, cut sheets crosswise with chef's knife, yielding two roughly evenly sized stacks of phyllo (one may be narrower than other). Cover with plastic wrap, then damp kitchen towel to prevent drying.
- Place one phyllo sheet (from wider stack) in bottom of baking pan and brush until completely coated with butter. Repeat with 7 more phyllo sheets (from wider stack), brushing each with butter.
- Evenly distribute about 1 cup nuts over phyllo. Cover nuts with phyllo sheet (from narrower stack) and dab with butter (phyllo will slip if butter is brushed on). Repeat with 5 more phyllo sheets (from narrower stack), staggering sheets slightly if necessary to cover nuts, and brushing each with butter. Repeat layering with additional 1 cup nuts, 6 sheets phyllo, and remaining 1 cup nuts. Finish with 8 to 10 sheets phyllo (from wider stack), using nicest and most intact sheets for uppermost layers and brushing each except final sheet with butter. Following illustration 6, use palms of hands to compress layers, working from center outward to press out any air pockets. Spoon 4 tablespoons butter on top layer and brush to cover all surfaces. Following illustration 7, use bread knife or other serrated knife with pointed tip in gentle sawing motion to cut baklava into diamonds, rotating pan as necessary to complete cuts. (Cut on bias into eighths on both diagonals.).
- Bake until golden and crisped, about 1 ½ hours, rotating baking pan halfway through baking. Immediately after removing baklava from oven, pour cooled syrup over cut lines until about 2 tablespoons remain (syrup will sizzle when it hits hot pan); drizzle remaining syrup over surface. Garnish center of each piece with pinch of reserved ground nuts. Cool to room temperature on wire rack, about 3 hours, then cover with foil and let stand at least 8 hours before serving. (Once cooled, baklava can be served, but flavor and texture improve if left to stand at least 8 hours. Baklava can be wrapped tightly in foil and kept at room temperature up to 10 days.).
MIDDLE EASTERN NUT-FILLED MULTILAYERED PASTRY (BAKLAVA)
Provided by Gil Marks
Categories Dairy Nut Dessert Bake Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur Almond Spice Fall Kosher Party Phyllo/Puff Pastry Dough Pastry Kidney Friendly Vegetarian Pescatarian Peanut Free Soy Free
Yield Makes about 36 small diamond-shaped pastries
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- 1. To make the syrup: Stir the sugar, water, lemon juice, and if using, the corn syrup, cinnamon sticks, and/or cloves over low heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Stop stirring, increase the heat to medium, and cook until the mixture is slightly syrupy, about 5 minutes (it will register 225 degrees on a candy thermometer). Discard the cinnamon sticks and whole cloves. Let cool.
- 2. To make the filling: Combine all the filling ingredients.
- 3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-by-9-inch or 13-by-9-inch baking pan or 15-by-10-inch jelly roll pan.
- 4. Place a sheet of phyllo in the prepared pan and lightly brush with butter. Repeat with 7 more sheets. Spread with half of the filling. Top with 8 more sheets, brushing each with butter. Use any torn sheets in the middle layer. Spread with the remaining nut mixture and end with a top layer of 8 sheets, continuing to brush each with butter. Trim any overhanging edges.
- 5. Using a sharp knife, cut 6 equal lengthwise strips (about 1 3/4 inches wide) through the top layer of pastry. Make 1 1/2-inch-wide diagonal cuts across the strips to form diamond shapes.
- 6. Just before baking, lightly sprinkle the top of the pastry with cold water. This inhibits the pastry from curling. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300 degrees and bake until golden brown, about 15 additional minutes.
- 7. Cut through the scored lines. Drizzle the cooled syrup slowly over the hot baklava and let cool for at least 4 hours. Cover and store at room temperature for up to 1 week. If the baklava dries out while being stored, drizzle with a little additional hot syrup.
- VARIATIONS
- Instead of brushing each layer of phyllo with butter, cut the unbaked baklava into diamonds all the way through, drizzle with 1 cup vegetable oil, and let stand for 10 minutes before baking.
- Persian Baklava:
- Using the almonds and cardamom in the filling: Omit the lemon juice and cinnamon from the syrup and add 1/4 cup rose water or 1 tablespoon orange blossom water after it has cooled.
- Paklava(Azerbaijani Baklava):
- For the filling, use 2 cups blanched almonds, 2 cups unsalted pistachios, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Crush 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads and let steep in 3 tablespoons of the melted butter for 15 minutes and use to brush the top sheet of phyllo.
Tips:
- Use high-quality phyllo dough for the best results.
- Make sure the butter is melted and cooled before using it to brush the phyllo dough.
- Be careful not to overfill the baklava with nuts, as this can make it difficult to cut and serve.
- Bake the baklava until it is golden brown and crispy on top.
- Allow the baklava to cool completely before cutting and serving.
- Drizzle the baklava with rose water syrup before serving for extra flavor.
Conclusion:
Baklava is a delicious and versatile dessert that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. With its rich, nutty flavor and crispy phyllo dough, baklava is a perfect treat for any occasion. Whether you are making it for a special event or just for a weeknight dessert, baklava is sure to please everyone who tries it.
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »
You'll also love