National Baklava Day: Here's the recipe for this classic dessert
Today, November 17, is celebrated as National Baklava Day. Let your kitchen fill up with the aroma of this incredibly flaky Middle Eastern pastry. Baklava's complex layered texture and flavor come from between the sheets of phyllo pastry soaked with sugar syrup or honey and filled with chopped nuts. Bake this sweet delicacy from Turkey today following these steps.
Ingredients you will need for this recipe
For the pastry - One-fourth cup walnuts, one-fourth cup almonds, one-fourth cup pistachios, two tablespoons light brown sugar, half a teaspoon ground cinnamon, one-fourth teaspoon salt, a pinch of ground cloves, about 230gm ghee, one box phyllo dough For the syrup - Half a cup of honey, half a cup of water, half a cup of sugar, and one slice of lemon.
Thaw the phyllo dough a night in advance
First of all, thaw the frozen phyllo dough the night before you make baklava. Grease a 9x13-inch pan lightly with oil and keep it aside. Finely chop the nuts in a food processor, and simultaneously melt the ghee in a separate bowl. Roll out the phyllo sheets and cut them in half so the sheets fit in the pan.
Layer up phyllo sheets and add the filling
Place a sheet of phyllo dough into the pan. Brush the sheet with melted butter using a pastry brush. Sprinkle a thin layer of the nut mixture. Next, cover with two more sheets of phyllo, brushing each one with butter. Add another layer of the nut mixture and two buttered phyllo sheets, and repeat the layering process until eight to 10 coatings.
Slice the layering and bake
Coat the topmost layer with at least eight phyllo sheets, individually buttering each sheet. Now, slice the layered sheets into equal-sized squares. Preheat the oven to 175°C and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until it turns light golden brown, and the edges become crispy. Do not worry if the sheets crinkle up a bit, it will add more texture.
Prepare sugar syrup and pour
Take cinnamon sticks, sugar, lemon juice, honey, and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat. Simmer it for six to seven minutes, then remove the cinnamon sticks and let it cool. Spread the syrup over the hot baklava and cool it for four hours. Garnish with finely chopped dry fruits of your choice and your baklava is ready.
