Baklava, a rich and decadent pastry, is a beloved dessert with a long history in Middle Eastern cuisine. It consists of layers of filo dough filled with chopped nuts, sweetened with syrup or honey, and often flavored with spices like cinnamon and cloves. This article presents a collection of baklava recipes that explore different variations and fillings, ensuring there's a perfect baklava for every taste. From the classic Turkish baklava with its pistachio filling to the unique Greek baklava with walnuts and orange zest, these recipes offer a diverse selection of this iconic pastry. Indulge in the delightful combination of crispy filo dough, nutty fillings, and sweet syrup, and experience the rich flavors and textures that make baklava a cherished dessert across cultures.
Here are our top 9 tried and tested recipes!
BAKLAVA WITH HONEY SYRUP
Baklava is a sweet, buttery Greek treat. The honey syrup drizzled on top gives this classic dessert a delicious twist. -Trisha Kruse, Eagle, Idaho
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Desserts
Time 1h25m
Yield 2-1/2 dozen.
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Coat a 13x9-in. baking pan with cooking spray. Unroll phyllo dough; trim to fit into pan., Layer two sheets of phyllo dough in prepared pan, spritz with cooking spray. Repeat three times. (Keep remaining phyllo covered with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.) Sprinkle with 3 tablespoons nuts. Top with two sheets of phyllo and spritz with cooking spray. Repeat layering with nuts, phyllo and cooking spray 10 times. Top with remaining phyllo dough, spritzing every other sheet with cooking spray., Using a sharp knife, cut into 30 triangles. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine syrup ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour over warm baklava. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and let stand for several hours or overnight.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 136 calories, Fat 7g fat (0 saturated fat), Cholesterol 0 cholesterol, Sodium 67mg sodium, Carbohydrate 18g carbohydrate (9g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 3g protein.
BAKLAVA RECIPE- HOW TO MAKE BAKLAVA
My family's secret baklava recipe combines layers of honey-soaked crisp phyllo pastry and a cinnamon-scented nut mixture with pistachios, walnuts, and hazelnut. Baklava is the perfect make-ahead dessert because it's even better the next day! Be sure to read through for tips and watch the video to make it.
Provided by Suzy Karadsheh
Categories Dessert
Time 1h10m
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and heat stove-top, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Add the honey, orange extract if using, and whole cloves; stir to mix. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and let simmer for about 25 minutes. Remove syrup from heat and let cool to lukewarm. Add lemon juice. Remove the whole cloves.
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade, add the pistachios, walnut, and hazelnuts. Pulse a few times to chop. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add sugar, cinnamon, and ground cloves. Mix well to combine.
- Unroll the thawed phyllo pastry and place the sheets in between two clean kitchen towels. This will help keep the phyllo from breaking while you work.
- Prepare a 9"x 13"x 2" baking pan. Brush the interior of the baking pan with some of the melted butter. To assemble the baklava, take one sheet of phyllo and place it in the pan (for this size pan, I typically fold my phyllo sheet in half, and it fits perfectly. You can also do a bit of trimming using a pair of kitchen shears). Brush the top of the phyllo sheet with the melted butter.
- Repeat this process a few more times until you have used up about 1/3 of the phyllo pastry, each layer being brushed with the melted butter.
- Now, distribute about ½ of the nut mixture evenly over the top layer of phyllo.
- Continue assembling the baklava, one sheet of phyllo pastry at a time using another 1/3 of the phyllo. Again, brush each layer with a bit of the melted butter.
- Distribute the remaining ½ of the nut mixture evenly over the top layer of phyllo.
- Finish the remaining 1/3 of the phyllo pastry following the same process, laying one folded sheet at a time and brushing each layer with melted butter. Brush the very top sheet of phyllo with butter.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the pastry into 24 diamond shaped pieces (you can get up to 36 smaller pieces). (Review the tutorial above to see how I cut baklava).
- Place the baking dish on the middle rack of your heated oven. Bake anywhere from 35 to 45 minutes or until the top of the baklava turns golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. (IMPORTANT...Because ovens vary, be sure to check your baklava half-way through baking).
- As soon as you remove the baklava from the oven, pour the cooled syrup all over the hot baklava.
- Allow baklava to sit for a few hours before serving or for at least 1 hour. Cut through the earlier marked pieces. Serve with a garnish of chopped pistachios, if you like.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 229 calories, Sugar 14.2 g, Sodium 93.6 mg, Fat 14.5 g, SaturatedFat 4.5 g, TransFat 0 g, Carbohydrate 23.7 g, Fiber 1.9 g, Protein 3.4 g, Cholesterol 15.3 mg
BAKLAVA WITH LEMON-HONEY SYRUP
Flaky, sticky, and sweet, this delectable baklava from baker Umber Ahmad of Mah-Ze-Dahr is studded with cloves to anchor the pastry layers and infuse them with warm flavor. Lemon is mixed into the traditional honey syrup for a deliciously fresh twist.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes
Time 1h50m
Yield Makes about 30
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Syrup: In a small saucepan, stir together sugar, honey, 3/4 cup water, zest and juice, corn syrup, and cinnamon sticks. Heat over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, and cook, without stirring, until syrup thickens slightly and registers 230 degrees on a candy thermometer. Let cool completely; discard zest and cinnamon sticks. (You should have about 1 1/2 cups.) Syrup can be made up to 1 day ahead and stored at room temperature.
- Filling: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a food processor, finely grind all nuts. Add sugar, cinnamon, and salt; pulse just to combine. Transfer to a bowl.
- Brush a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter. Trim phyllo sheets to just fit inside baking dish(each about 8 1/2 by 12 1/2 inches). Lay phyllo flat on a work surface; cover with a damp kitchen towel to prevent drying out. Place a sheet in prepared dish; brush generously with melted butter. Repeat with 6 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter before laying down next. Spread 1 cup filling evenly over top, then top with 5 more phyllo sheets, buttering each layer. Spread 1 cup fillingover top, followed by 5 morebuttered phyllo sheets. Spreadremaining filling over phyllo; finishwith 7 buttered phyllo sheets.
- Using a long, sharp knife, cut lengthwise all the way through layers at 2-inch intervals. Makediagonal cuts across strips to form 2-inch diamonds, again cutting all the way through layers. Pierce each diamond with a whole clove.
- Using your fingers, lightly sprinkle top of pastry with cold water (to prevent curling). Bake, rotating dish once, until baklava is deep golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven and recut through all lines. Pour syrup over top, saturating fully; let cool at least 4 hours beforeserving. Baklava can be covered with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature up to 1 week.
MOM'S BAKLAVA
Provided by Michael Symon : Food Network
Time 2h10m
Yield 12 to 15 servings
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- For the honey-citrus simple syrup: Whisk together the sugar, honey, water and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low, add the orange peel and continue to boil without stirring, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat to cool while you assemble the baklava. The syrup will thicken as it cools.
- For the nut filling: Add the pistachios and walnuts to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and pulse until coarsely chopped. Transfer the nuts to a large bowl along with the graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon and salt and mix until combined. Set aside.
- To assemble: Brush a 9-by-13-inch pan with some of the melted butter. Unroll the whole package of phyllo and cut it in half to fit the pan or trim to fit flat. (As you work, cover the unused phyllo sheets with wax paper underneath a damp clean kitchen towel.) Lay 1 sheet of phyllo in the bottom of the pan. Brush with butter, covering the entire surface, then lay another sheet of phyllo on top. Repeat this process until you have 10 layers of phyllo, with butter brushed on top. Add half of the nut mixture, spreading it evenly over the buttered surface, then gently press in with your hands. Begin layering the phyllo and melted butter until you have 10 more layers of phyllo, with butter brushed on top. Add the remaining nut mixture, then layer 10 more sheets of phyllo, brushing with butter in between layers. Brush the top with melted butter, then score the phyllo dough into diamonds, cutting about 1/4-inch deep. (Cut 4 strips lengthwise, then diagonal cuts for a diamond shape).
- Bake until puffed and golden brown on top, about 1 hour. Ladle the cooled syrup over the top, allowing it to absorb in between pours. Allow the baklava to sit until the syrup is completely absorbed, at least 30 minutes. Separate into bars and serve. The baklava freezes very well.
GREEK BAKLAVA
A Greek favorite that makes everyone think you are a master chef and is sooo easy to make!! I taught a Greek friend how to make apple pie and she taught me this fabulous recipe. The phyllo dough for this recipe is found in the freezer section of most grocery stores. Add a little lemon zest to the sugar sauce, if desired.
Provided by NEONWILLIE
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European Greek
Yield 18
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.
- Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.
- Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
- Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 393.1 calories, Carbohydrate 37.5 g, Cholesterol 27.1 mg, Fat 25.9 g, Fiber 3.1 g, Protein 6.1 g, SaturatedFat 9 g, Sodium 196.4 mg, Sugar 19.9 g
BAKLAVA RECIPE
This baklava is flaky, crisp, tender and perfectly balanced with the honey-lemon syrup. This homemade baklava is so much better than any store-bought version.
Provided by Natasha of NatashasKitchen.com
Categories Medium/Advanced
Time 2h15m
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Thaw phyllo dough by package instructions (this is best done overnight in the fridge, then place it on the counter for 1 hr before starting your recipe to bring it to room temp).
- Trim phyllo dough to fit your baking dish. My phyllo package had 2 rolls with a total of 40 sheets that measured 9x14 so I had to trim them slightly. You can trim one stack at a time then cover with a damp towel to keep from drying out.
- Butter the bottom and sides of a 13x9 non-stick baking pan.
- In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup honey, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, and 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil over med/high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then reduce heat to med/low and boil additional 4 min without stirring. Remove from heat and let syrup cool while preparing baklava.
- Pulse walnuts 10 times in a food process or until coarsely ground/ finely chopped. In a medium bowl, stir together: 4 cups finely chopped walnuts and 1 tsp cinnamon.
- Place 10 phyllo sheets into baking pan one at a time, brushing each sheet with butter once it's in the pan before adding the next (i.e. place phyllo sheet into pan, brush the top with butter, place next phyllo sheet in pan, butter the top, etc. etc.). Keep remaining phyllo covered with a damp towel at all times. Spread about 1/5 of nut mixture (about 3/4 cup) over phyllo dough.
- Add 5 buttered sheets of phyllo, then another layer of nuts. Repeat x 4. Finish off with 10 layers of buttered phyllo sheets. Brush the very top with butter.
- Cut pastry into 1 1/2" wide strips, then cut diagonally to form diamond shapes. Bake at 325˚F for 1 hour and 15 min or until tops are golden brown.
- Remove from oven and immediately spoon cooled syrup evenly over the hot baklava (you'll hear it sizzle). This will ensure that it stays crisp rather than soggy. Let baklava cool completely, uncovered and at room temp. For best results, let baklava sit 4-6 hours or overnight at room temperature for the syrup to penetrate and soften the layers. Garnish baklava with finely chopped nuts or drizzle with melted chocolate. Store at room temp, covered with a tea towel for 1 to 2 weeks.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 255 kcal, Carbohydrate 21 g, Protein 3 g, Fat 18 g, SaturatedFat 6 g, Cholesterol 20 mg, Sodium 74 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 11 g, ServingSize 1 serving
HONEY SYRUP FOR ROLLED BAKLAVA
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes
Yield Makes 3 cups
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Combine sugar with 2 cups water in a small saucepan. Stir to dissolve. Add lemon juice, zest, and cinnamon sticks to pan. Place over medium-high heat, and cook to 221 to 222 degrees on a candy thermometer.
- Add honey and stir to combine.
BAKLAVA
Steps:
- Make syrup:
- Combine sugar and water in a 2 1/2- to 3-quart saucepan. Squeeze juice from lemon and orange into sugar mixture. Add fruit halves and cinnamon sticks. Bring mixture to a boil over moderate heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved, then simmer 10 minutes. Stir in honey and return to a boil. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Pour through a sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl, pressing hard on, then discarding, solids. Chill, uncovered, until cold, about 1 hour.
- Assemble and bake baklava:
- Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
- Whisk together almonds, walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt until combined well.
- Generously brush a 13- by 9- by 2-inch glass baking dish with melted butter. Halve phyllo sheets crosswise and stack sheets. Keep stack covered with 2 overlapping sheets of plastic wrap and then a dampened clean kitchen towel. Lay 2 sheets of phyllo in bottom of baking dish and brush top sheet generously with butter. Continue to layer 2 sheets at a time, staggering sheets in each double layer slightly to cover bottom of dish, then brushing every second sheet generously with butter, until you have used 10 sheets of phyllo total. After brushing top layer of phyllo with butter, spread a rounded 1 1/2 cups of nut mixture over it. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons butter.
- Repeat layering 3 more times. Top with 10 more sheets of phyllo. (You will use 50 sheets of phyllo total.) Butter top and let baklava stand at room temperature to harden slightly (to facilitate cutting), 10 to 15 minutes.
- Using a sharp knife, cut baklava into 16 equal rectangles, then cut each piece in half diagonally. (Be sure to cut all the way through.)
- Bake baklava until golden, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer dish to a rack to cool, then slowly pour cold syrup around edges of hot baklava, in between all cuts, and over top. Let stand at room temperature at least 8 hours. (Cover once baklava is at room temperature.) Do not chill.
BAKLAVA WITH HONEY SYRUP
One of several recipes featured as a dish to be served for a Greek-style meal, in the November issue of the Australian magazine 'Super Food Ideas', and posted for the 2005 Zaar World Tour. The preparation and cooking times do not include the 30 minutes standing time, to allow the syrup to be fully absorbed by the baklava.
Provided by bluemoon downunder
Categories Dessert
Time 50m
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F, and lightly grease a shallow baking tray.
- Place the sesame seeds in a small, non-stick pan over a medium heat, and cook, while shaking the pan gently, for 3-5 minutes or until golden and toasted.
- Transfer to a bowl, add the walnuts and cinnamon and mix well.
- Brush 1 pastry sheet with the melted butter and fold in half crossways to form a rectangle.
- Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the walnut mixture evenly over the pastry; and starting from one of the long ends, roll it up into a log. Brush with butter. Place on a baking tray; and repeat with the remaining pastry, butter and walnut mixture.
- Bake the baklava for 10-12 minutes or until golden; and then allow them to cool on the baking tray.
- The Honey Syrup: Peel 1 large strip of rind from the lemon, remove the pith, juice half the lemon; then place the lemon rind, lemon juice, sugar, honey, cinnamon stick, cloves and 2 cups of water in a saucepan over a medium heat.
- Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved; increase the heat to high and bring to the boil; reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 10 minutes or until the honey syrup thickens slightly.
- Pour the hot honey syrup over the cold baklava, and stand for 30 minutes or until the baklava has absorbed the syrup. Cut each baklava diagonally into 3 pieces and serve.
- Tip: Purchase phyllo pastry from the fridge not the freezer, as the layers will separate much more easily.
Tips:
- Use fresh filo dough: Fresh filo dough is easier to work with and will result in a flakier baklava.
- Make sure the filo dough is at room temperature: This will make it more pliable and less likely to tear.
- Work quickly with the filo dough: Filo dough dries out quickly, so it's important to work quickly when assembling the baklava.
- Brush each layer of filo dough with melted butter: This will help to keep the baklava moist and flaky.
- Bake the baklava until it is golden brown: This will ensure that the baklava is cooked through and has a crispy exterior.
- Let the baklava cool completely before slicing it: This will help to prevent the baklava from falling apart.
- Store the baklava in an airtight container at room temperature: Baklava can be stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
Conclusion:
Baklava is a delicious and versatile dessert that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. With its flaky crust, nutty filling, and sweet syrup, baklava is sure to be a hit at your next party or gathering. So next time you're looking for a special dessert, give baklava a try. You won't be disappointed!
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