Baklava

Filling:
4 cups chopped nuts
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon*
1/4 tsp. ground allspice*
1/4 tsp. ground cloves*

Dough:
10 tbsp. unsalted butter or margarine**
1-1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil**
2 tsp. warm water**
1 lb. phyllo dough

Syrup:
2 cups sugar
1 cup cold water
1 md. orange, shredded peel of
1 md. lemon, shredded peel of*
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. honey
1 md. lemon, juice of
Chocolate chips (optional for choclava)

Directions:

Make the filling:
Simply mix the nuts, sugar, spices in a bowl and set aside

Make the pastry:
Melt the butter or margarine over low heat in asmall saucepan and keep handy, with a pastry brush at hand.

**Personally, I prefer to just skip this whole process and spray the sheets of dough with Pam instead. It works just as well. But if you want to do it upright the first time, read on. Remove the phyllo dough from its inner lining. Unfold it so it lies flat and keep it covered with a moistened kitchen towel while you work with the pastry. Dip your pastry brush in the butter/oil and coat the bottom and sides of a 10x15x1-inch jelly roll pan (or a 9x13x2-inch cake pan in a pinch -- the important thing is that it be deep enough to accept all the sugar syrup you're going to pour into it). Trim the sheets of phyllo so they fit the pan. (You'll probably have enough for another dish, such as wrapped chicken or spanakopita (8-9-inch).)Layer one sheet of phyllo in the pan, brush it with butter/oil or spray it, and cover it with another sheet. Repeat. After 5 sheets, sprinkle some of the nut mixture onto the sheets, covering them pretty completely. Repeat the above every 3 sheets of dough until you have no more nuts left, then top with 5 more sheets of dough. (Tip from personal experience: At least the first time, yes you gotta butter each sheet of phyllo. The pastry is very dry without it. That's why I like to use PAM instead) Don't forget to cover the remaining dough each time you retrieve a sheetof it from the pile. Score the pastry by cutting into diamond shapes with a sharp knife. The book says to cut only partway through, but I always cut all the way through. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour. The pastry should be golden on top.

While the baklava is in the oven, prepare the syrup: Combine the sugar, water, citrus peel and 1/2 cup honey in a medium saucepan. Slowly heat the mixture over medium heat, swirling the pan, until the sugar dissolves; then simmer, uncovered and undistrubed, until the mixture reaches 212°F on acandy thermo- meter (about 10 minutes). Remove the syrup from the heat and now add the remaining honey and the lemon juice. Cool completely.

To complete the pastry, when it is done take it from the oven and IMMEDIATELY pour the syrup over the top of the entire hot pan. If you can stand it, let the baklava sit for at least 4 hours or overnight. This recipe freezes; or you can store it at room temperature; or, you can bring it to my house and not worry about storage. :)

Comments from BETH WOODELL :

*To make the Hawaiian baklava, I replaced the walnuts with macadamia nuts,the lemon and orange peel with pineapple juice, and tossed in some driedpineapple chunks and coconut into the nut mix. Spices could be replacedby ginger, but I think that is gilding the lily.

To make choclava, the last layer of nuts before putting the lid on the pastry can also contain a layer of chocolate chips. I like to put the chocolate chips near the top rather than the bottom so as not to scorch the chips. The Hawaiian baklava got a layer of white chocolate chips. Any commentary from those growing up in households where this recipe was made routinely are most welcome. Perhaps some of you made it with pistachios? I just remembered seeing that variation in some Greek restaurants. (I wish I could be an honorary Greek-American; I don't speakt he language but I sure do love the food!)

User Reviews:

I made Baklava for a project in school. We read Odysseus and my project was over greek food. I made baklava and cheese puffs (also greek) it was a big success! EVERYONE loved this recipe

Submitted by Brittany on December 06, 2002

THE CHEF'S COMMENTS ARE SUPERB.

Submitted by bhavna on December 05, 2001

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