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Decadent Classic Baklava

Posted on April 4, 2019April 8, 2019 by jennifer froese
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Baklava. Yum. Just saying the word “baklava” makes my mouth start to water! This buttery, flaky, sweet dessert is amazingly delicious and easy to make. It is so much better than any store bought version you won’t even believe your taste buds! I was recently asked to make baklava for a bridal shower for my cousin’s sweet bride-to-be and of course I happily obliged! 🙂

This recipe makes enough to cover a 9×13 pan. You can cut the pieces to whatever size you want depending on how many pieces you need. I recently doubled this recipe to fill an entire half-sheet pan (more or less successfully lol) for my cousin Anna’s beautiful wedding in the fall.

Let’s just pause for one second to admire the cake that my aunt Gwen made for her daughter’s wedding. Have you ever seen a more stunning cake?!

Well, let’s pry our eyes off that gorgeous cake and get back on track…

If you decide to double the baklava recipe and use a half sheet, I would recommend using less layers than the single recipe calls for. I would only do two to three layers of walnuts instead of four. Using less layers will keep the top of the baklava about even with the top of your half sheet pan. When I made the double recipe it was quite a bit taller than the rim of my baking sheet. Then, when I cut the pieces into one-inch squares and they ended up being a little bit too tall and some of the pieces started tipping over. While this did not dissuade any wedding guests (or me) from eating the bakalva, it wasn’t the most aesthetically pleasing.

Ingredients

16 oz. phyllo dough (can be found in the freezer section)
1 & 1/4c. butter
2-3 c. walnuts, finely chopped
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 c. granulated sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 Tbsp.)
1/2 c. honey
3/4 c. water

Directions

Thaw phyllo dough

Thaw phyllo dough (overnight in fridge works great). Allow to sit covered at room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour before using. I like to place the unrolled stack of phyllo sheets on a half sheet pan and cover completely with a damp dish towel. Be sure to cover the phyllo or it will get dried out and crumble when you try to lift it.

Trim phyllo to fit the baking dish

The sheets I bought were 9×14 so I did trim the end so that the length fit my dish. I also trimmed a tiny triangle off each corner because my pan has rounded corners.

Prepare baking dish

Melt the butter in a small saucepan, then butter the bottom and sides of your 9×13 pan.

Make honey sauce

Make honey sauce by combining the following ingrediends in a saucepan: sugar, lemon juice, honey, water. Bring to a boil over medium to high heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Next, reduce heat to medium/low and cook for an additional 4 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and allow to cool while completing the rest of the process for the bakalva.

Chop walnuts

Finely chop walnuts. I put the walnuts in my blender and pulse about 5-10 times to achieve the desired consistency. Then, mix the cinnamon into the walnuts

Preheat oven to 325°F

Layer the ingredients into the pan

Layer the phyllo sheets into the pan one at a time, with butter brushed on top of each sheet. Add in the walnut mixture according to the directions below. The process of brushing the butter on top of each layer is a little bit tedious, but definitely worth the end result. It is what gives the phyllo the flaky texture after baking. Be sure to cover the stack of phyllo sheets after each use so that the sheets don’t get dried out.

The layers continue as follows:
10 layers phyllo (butter between each layer) on the bottom of the pan
First layer of walnut mixture (approximately 1/2 cup)
5 layers phyllo (butter between each layer)
Second layer of walnut mixture (approximately 1/2 cup)
5 layers phyllo (butter between each layer)
Third layer of walnut mixture (approximately 1/2 cup)
5 layers phyllo (butter between each layer)
Fourth layer of walnut mixture (approximately 1/2 cup)
10 layers phyllo (butter between each layer)

Butter the topmost layer of phyllo, then cut as desired

Traditional baklava has a diagonal shape, but I’ve cut it into squares as well when I needed smaller pieces. Be sure to cut all the way through to the bottom of the pan. If not, you will have a difficult time trying to remove the finished pieces.

After cutting, bake at 325°F

After cutting the baklava, bake at 325°F for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Usually I end up baking for 1:20 to 1:25 to get a darker golden brown color on top.

Spoon honey sauce over hot baklava, then let cool

Immediately after removing baklava from oven, spoon honey sauce over the top. Bakalva must be hot to keep it crispy after adding honey sauce (if you wait until the baklava cools off it will turn to mush after adding the honey sauce). If you do it right, you should hear the honey sauce sizzle as you spoon it over the hot bakalva.

Let uncovered bakalva cool to room temperature at least 4-6 hours (or overnight) before serving.

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  • 1 thought on “Decadent Classic Baklava”

    1. Alex says:
      September 12, 2019 at 10:13 am

      I know what I’m making this weekend!! Can’t wait to try this recipe out

      Reply

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    cedarandstonefarmhouse

    Jennifer Froese
    🌿 Living a slow, simple life in our 1832 farmhouse | western ny | 5w6 | the secret to having it all is knowing that you already do ✨

    Cedar & Stone Farmhouse
    This window takes the cake for my favorite one in This window takes the cake for my favorite one in the house! It overlooks a giant silver maple from the second story of our old farmhouse and gets the absolute best light throughout the day ✨
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#home #homedecor #homestyle #homeinterior #simpleinteriors #simpleinterior #minimal #cozyminimal #interiors #simplicity #doingneutralright #hygge #buffalo #buffalohomes #bflo #716 #thrifteddecor #instadesign #interiør #vintagedecor #farrowandball #oldfarmhouse #slowliving #linenduet #linen #benjaminmore #edgecombgray #whitedove
    The coziest place to be on a cold winter night # The coziest place to be on a cold winter night 

#cozy #hygge #hyggehome #hyggelife #jotul #jøtul #woodstovelife #woodstove #fireside
    Egg production for our hens has come to a screechi Egg production for our hens has come to a screeching halt lately with the exception of this white leghorn, who continues to faithfully lay one white egg each day! I don't blame them at all, these girls have endured quite the winter so far.
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This white leghorn is the newest addition to our flock, and she actually showed up randomly in the fall and would hang out near the run during the day and disappear towards the evening. This went on for a couple of weeks, and then one day she wandered in when I had the door open and I couldn't get her out. So in she stayed!
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One egg a day is not quite enough to keep up with the baking and cooking for us, so I did have to buy eggs at the store the other week. Talk about sticker shock! I'm curious what prices everyone has been paying for eggs these days.
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#chickencoop #chickenpalace #chickencoopsofinstagram #cluckinghampalace #homestead #homesteading #homesteadlife #farmhouse #weatheredcedar #cedar #chickens #chicken #farmfresh #farmfresheggs #country #countryliving #backyardchickens #growyourown #homegrown #countrywinter #winterwonderland #slowliving #simplelife #simpleliving #snowfall #winter #perfectlyimperfect #oldfarmhouse #whiteleghorn #dominique
    Ina Garten's old-fashioned apple crisp does not di Ina Garten's old-fashioned apple crisp does not disappoint! Normally I do a lot more fall baking, but I've been soaking up all the newborn snuggles every chance I get 🥰

#longaberger #longabergerlifestyle #barefootcontessa #inagarten #applecrisp #applecrumble #fallbaking #bakingtime #apples #applerecipes #appledessert #bakelite #vintagebakelite #feedfeed #feedfeedbaking #homebaker #homebaking #homemade #f52 #f52grams #autumn #foodgawker #fallfood #fallvibes
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Born 9.3.22 at 2:33am
8lbs 12oz, 21” long
    Our baby may be arriving any day now (hopefully so Our baby may be arriving any day now (hopefully sooner rather than later 😅), but we've been busy harvesting honey from our hives! We just restocked with our freshly harvested raw honey at @martins.mercantile on Friday last week, so if you live in WNY you can head over there for your honey fix #🍯 I think it's extra delicious this year!! 😋 Just check out that beautiful golden color in the second picture 😍
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By popular demand, we'll have a couple of new size jars available at @martins.mercantile soon!
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#rawhoney #honey #honeyharvest #honeybees #honeybee #beekeeper #beekeeping #backyardbeekeeping #backyardbees #smallbusiness #beehive #beehives #langstroth #savethebees #pollinators #honeycomb #cappedhoney #beautifulhoney #beeswax #apiary #beekeepersofwny #buffalobeekeeping #homestead #homesteading #selfsufficiency #growyourown #martinsmercantile
    I’m excited to partner with @longaberger for the I’m excited to partner with @longaberger for their Farm-to-Table campaign! 
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We took a trip to Joe’s Farm Market in town to gather some of the produce we needed for dinner alfresco the other night! We enjoyed caprese salad with farm fresh tomatoes and basil, pasta salad with roasted veggies, iced tea made with mint from our garden, and focaccia from a local bakery.
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My favorite was the homemade peach and blackberry galette, topped with raw honey from our own bee hives! 🍯 The peaches were some of the best ones we’ve had all summer, and there almost weren’t enough left to make the galette because they were being eaten as fast as I could cut them up!
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Longaberger has the most beautiful vitrified pottery serving dishes! And I love how their baking dishes are pretty enough to use as serving dishes too, making it easy to simplify your kitchen since they are so versatile. They’re also pretty enough to use for special occasions, but simple and durable enough for everyday use. The matching plates and bowls are definitely on my wish list!!
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#longabergerlifestyle #longaberger #farmtotable #longabergerpartner #longabergerstyle #longabergerbasket #longabergerbaskets #longabergerpottery #heirloom #timeless #farmersmarket #eatlocal #buylocal #homemade #dinneralfresco #focaccia #galette #blackberrypeachgalette #halfbakedharvest #feedfeed #bakelite #rawhoney #beekeeping #beekeeper #farmfresh #🍯🍯
    The rest of the house is a complete disaster and t The rest of the house is a complete disaster and the to-do list is a mile long, but at least this little corner of the kitchen is still looking pretty 😅
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#home #homedecor #homestyle #homeinterior #simpleinteriors #simpleinterior #minimal #cozyminimal #interiors #simple #simplicity #doingneutralright #hygge #buffalo #buffalohomes #bflo #716 #thrifteddecor #instadesign #interiør #kitchen #farmhousekitchen #simplekitchen #vintagedecor #farrowandball #oldfarmhouse #slowliving #longaberger #longabergerstyle
    It’s a bit overdue, but I’d love to take you o It’s a bit overdue, but I’d love to take you on a tour of our chicken coop! I’ve had a years-long dream to have chickens, and we were finally able to get them last spring.
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I just shared a blog post about how we converted this wonky old shed into a perfectly imperfect chicken coop last year! Definitely a labor of love, especially with the pandemic lumber prices 😅
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The link is in my bio if you want to check it out!
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https://cedarandstonefarmhouse.com/perfectly-imperfect-chicken-coop/
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#chickencoop #chickenpalace #chickencoopsofinstagram #cluckinghampalace #homestead #homesteading #homesteadlife #farmhouse #weatheredcedar #cedar #chickens #chicken #farmfresh #farmfresheggs #country #countryliving #backyardchickens #growyourown #homegrown #countrywinter #winterwonderland #slowliving #simplelife #simpleliving #snowfall #winter #perfectlyimperfect #oldfarmhouse
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