Decadent Classic Baklava

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.