I decided to make Baklava today - I found a recipe posted by an Iranian lady and went to buy pistachio nuts and rose water. As I started to chop the nuts, one on the plate caught my eye, it looks like a little heart - see photo :O) The rose water I bought in a little Indian shop and it is the best I have found anywhere. It's called Dabur Red Rose Water and made from handpicked roses ( it says) and I believe it because it smells like heaven.
Anyway, enough waxing lyrical and down to the nitty gritty - here's the recipe - you won't be disappointed...
Baklava
Ingredients:
1/2 pound skinless
almonds, lightly toasted, finely ground (I used slivered almonds)
1/2 pound
shelled pistachios, finely ground - I chopped mine.
1 package of phyllo (thawed overnight if
frozen), I used 20 pieces of 9" x 14" phyllo pastry sheets
1/2 teaspoon
ground cardamom
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup of unsalted butter,
melted
Syrup:
1 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons
honey *optional (I used orange blossom honey)
1 cup of water
1/2 cup rose
water
1/8 teaspoon powdered saffron
Method:
- In a medium sized bowl combine the chopped almonds, pistachios, two
tablespoons sugar and the ground cardamom. Mix well and set aside.
- Combine sugar and water in a small pot and bring to a boil on medium heat
for about 15 minutes until sugar is completely dissolved.
- Add the saffron to the syrup, lower the heat, simmer for an additional 5-7
minutes.
- Remove from heat, add the rose water and allow to cool.
- Lightly butter the inside of the baking pan.
- Place the first phyllo dough sheet down and lightly brush the melted butter
across covering the entire surface.
- Add four more pieces of phyllo dough and lightly brushing each with melted
butter.
- Add a layer of ground almond/pistachios.
- Add five more pieces of phyllo dough sheets lightly brush each sheet of
phyllo dough with melted butter.
- Add another layer of the chopped nuts covering all areas.
- Place five more pieces of phyllo dough, lightly brushing each with butter.
- Cover the phyllo dough sheets with another layer of the crushed nuts.
- Place the last five layers of the phyllo dough sheets and brush the surface
with butter.
- With a sharp knife cut across diagonally to make diamond shapes.
- Place the baking pan on the center rack of the 350 degrees Fahrenheit
pre-heated oven for 30 minutes or until the top is golden.
- Take the tray out of the oven and turn the oven off.
- Pour half of the cool syrup all over the baghlava and place it back in the
oven for 5-7 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and pour the remaining syrup over the baghlava
and let cool for at least a couple of hours before serving. (It tastes much
better the next day so you may want to make it ahead of time).
- To sum it all up, this recipe has 4 layers of 5 phyllo dough sheets and 3
layers of ground almonds and pistachios. It keeps well for a few days but more
than that I couldn't tell you!
