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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 | zone 6a | the secret to having it all is knowing that you already do✨

    Cedar & Stone Farmhouse
    "The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head i "The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul." -Alfred Austin

#kitchengarden #garden #homestead #homesteading #kitchengardening #potager #spinach #gigantedeinverno #growyourown #homegrown #spinachsalad #gardenlove #raisedbeds #nodig #nodiggarden #potagergarden #jardinpotager #homesteadlife #harvest
    Some things that I’ll always think of when I thi Some things that I’ll always think of when I think of you–
 
The birch tree out by the road, that low branch of the maple tree hanging down over the gravel driveway, the old potting shed with the red tin roof to match the house, all the birdhouses (but especially that one hanging on the silver maple next to the house), the glow of the lights in the windows at Christmastime, your beautiful gardens - the ferns and peonies, the hollyhocks and zinnias, the oakleaf hydrangea, the poppies, the tulip tree and the scraggly old apple trees, the tree swing under the giant maple in the backyard, the fall birthday parties in the big brown barn, football games in your back yard (especially that year when my dad pulled both of his hamstrings), the enamel-top table on your back porch where you and Papa would have lunch, the steep steep stairs and creaky old floors in your house, the gauzy tobacco cloth curtains pinned up at one corner, the paint colors Pearwood and Black Bean Soup, the bathroom door with no lock, your Bakelite silverware, the vintage Tinkertoys, the old gumball machine on the counter of your pantry with the jar of pennies right next to it (that gum was always so stale), the jar of extra-salty sourdough pretzels we could always find on your counter, your soft sugar cookies with frosting and a pecan on top, your famous potato salad, and your linen clothes. But more than all of these things, I’ll always remember how loved I always felt. Somehow you made everyone in your life feel like they were your favorite person in the world. I’ll never forget your smile and your hugs and your laugh and your sense of humor. And I’ll never forget watching you holding my babies for the very first time. You were incredible Grammie, I’m going to miss you so much.
    Definitely my favorite room in the house! If only Definitely my favorite room in the house! If only there was enough room for a cozy armchair in here 😅
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#pantry #oldfarmhouse #farmhouse #home #homedecor #homestyle #homeinterior #interiors #simple #simplicity #buffalohomes #homesweethome #instahome #oldhome #oldhomes #antique #reclaimed #reclaimedwood #patina #buffalo #bflo #716 #buffalove #linenduet #longaberger #longabergerstyle #myhyggehome #perfectlyimperfect
    4.18.23 ❄️ Last fire of the season? Time will 4.18.23 ❄️ Last fire of the season? Time will tell, but probably not 😂 @gregoryalanisakov @jotulstoves @jotulnorthamerica #jotul #jotulf400 #alwayswinter #buffalo #buffaloproblems
    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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    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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    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 🥰

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