Baklava
List of Ingredients
1 pound shelled walnuts, coarsely ground
1 pound shelled almonds, coarsely ground
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon mace
1 pound phyllo pastry
1 pound butter, melted
Whole cloves
Syrup:
3 cups granulated sugar
3 cups water
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 stick cinnamon
6 whole cloves
Peel of one orange, not grated
1 1/2 cups honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
Heat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl mix nuts with sugar and spices. Brush bottom of a 10 1/2-by-14 1/2-by-2-inch baking pan with melted butter. Then brushing each with melted butter, place six sheets of phyllo in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle on a thin layer of the nut mixture. Continue alternating phyllo, butter and nut mixture until all the nuts are used. Again, buttering between each layer, add 6 to 8 more phyllo sheets to the stack in the pan. Butter the top.
With a sharp, serrated knife, cut the baklava into vertical strips a full 1-inch wide. Be sure to cut to the bottom of the pan. Then cut the strips diagonally 1-inch wide to form the small, traditional diamond-shaped pieces. (It is important that the width of the diagonal cut be the same as the vertical cut.) Stick a whole cove in the center of each piece.
Bake for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes, until evenly browned.
During the last 45 minutes of baking, prepare the syrup, by combining the sugar, water, lemon juice, cinnamon stick, cloves, orange peel and honey in a pan. Bring to a boil and boil for 20 to 25 minutes. Add in the vanilla just before removing from heat. Discard the cinnamon stick, cloves and orange peel.
Remove the baked baklava from the oven and immediately, but carefully, pour all but 3/4 cup of the boiling syrup over it. Return the 3/4 cup to the heat and boil for an additional 5 minutes. Meanwhile, return the baklava to the oven and bake 3 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and pour the remaining syrup over the top. Allow the baklava to cool at room temperature for at least six hours before using. Makes about 120 (small) pieces.
Recipe
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