Walnut Baklava - Trial #2
I haven't made baklava in ages and so I decided that making it again, now that I can take my own pictures, would be a perfect way to use up the last 12 sheets of phyllo pastry from the package dug out of my freezer recently. And, a good way to use up the last of the walnuts.
In fact, I went a bit overboard on the nut filling. I had originally planned on only using the 4 cups of coarsely ground walnuts called for in the recipe. However, the first layer seemed a bit skimpy, so I dug out the last 2 cups from the freezer, ground them up quickly and added them to the mixture. The results were pretty good, if I do say so myself. At least as good as the ones at the fancy Greek restaurant that he last had it at, according to my nephew.
Close-up of the baklava triangles
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Baklava - makes 24 triangles
12 sheets phyllo pastry, 12x18 inches in size
Walnut Filling:
6 cups walnuts, coarsely ground
3 tbsp granulated sugar
In a medium sized bowl, combine the ground walnuts with the sugar mixing well. Set aside until needed.
Clarifying/Melting the butter:
1 cup unsalted butter
Melt the butter at a low to medium setting in the microwave. Skim off the foam on top and discard. Pour the clear portion of the melted butter into another bowl, leaving the milky white portion behind. Set aside the melted butter until needed.
Sugar-honey syrup
1 1/2 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup honey
squeeze of lemon juice
Combine the above ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring the contents to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir so as to dissolve the sugar, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes and then shut off the heat and remove the saucepan to a cold burner. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature, while preparing the rest of the baklava.
Preheat the oven to 350 deg Fahrenheit.
Assembling the baklava:
Brush melted butter on the bottom and sides of a 9 by 13 inch glass baking dish using a pastry brush.
Place a sheet (12 inches by 18 inches) of phyllo pastry on a clean working surface. Keep the rest of the phyllo sheets covered with a damp cloth while working with one phyllo sheet at a time.
Brush melted butter over the surface of the sheet of phyllo. Then, fold each sheet in half, buttered side together, to form a 9 by 12 inch rectangle. Lay the rectangle in the bottom of the 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Brush the top of the sheet in the baking dish with butter. Repeat with a 2nd, 3rd and 4th sheet. You do not have to brush butter on the top of the last sheet.
Scatter 2 1/4 cups of the ground nut/sugar mixture over the phyllo pastry.
Cover with 2 more buttered and doubled sheets of phyllo pastry.
Scatter 1 1/2 cups of the ground nut/sugar mixture over the phyllo pastry.
Cover with 2 more buttered and doubled sheets of phyllo pastry.
Scatter the last (2 1/4 cups) of the ground nut/sugar mixture over the phyllo pastry.
Repeat brushing with melted butter and folding in half the last 4 sheets of phyllo pastry, and buttering the top of the doubled sheet before laying the next sheet over it in the baking dish. Finish by brushing as much of the remaining melted butter as needed, over the last sheet.
Cut through entire stack of phyllo pastry and nuts to the bottom, so as to score the sheets, so that you will be able to portion the baklava for serving at the end. In this instance, I cut the pastry into 3 by 4 pieces and then cut each of the resulting 12 squares, on the diagonal, for a total of 24 triangles.
Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the top is a nice golden brown.
Spoon the room temperature syrup down along the scored cut lines and along the outer edges of the baklava. Spoon the remainder of the syrup over the surface of the baklava. Allow the baklava to come to room temperature and the syrup to be absorbed into the phyllo and nut mixture before cutting again down through the guide lines and to the bottom.
Serve at room temperature or cold.
In fact, I went a bit overboard on the nut filling. I had originally planned on only using the 4 cups of coarsely ground walnuts called for in the recipe. However, the first layer seemed a bit skimpy, so I dug out the last 2 cups from the freezer, ground them up quickly and added them to the mixture. The results were pretty good, if I do say so myself. At least as good as the ones at the fancy Greek restaurant that he last had it at, according to my nephew.
Close-up of the baklava triangles
Profile
Baklava - makes 24 triangles
12 sheets phyllo pastry, 12x18 inches in size
Walnut Filling:
6 cups walnuts, coarsely ground
3 tbsp granulated sugar
In a medium sized bowl, combine the ground walnuts with the sugar mixing well. Set aside until needed.
Clarifying/Melting the butter:
1 cup unsalted butter
Melt the butter at a low to medium setting in the microwave. Skim off the foam on top and discard. Pour the clear portion of the melted butter into another bowl, leaving the milky white portion behind. Set aside the melted butter until needed.
Sugar-honey syrup
1 1/2 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup honey
squeeze of lemon juice
Combine the above ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring the contents to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir so as to dissolve the sugar, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes and then shut off the heat and remove the saucepan to a cold burner. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature, while preparing the rest of the baklava.
Preheat the oven to 350 deg Fahrenheit.
Assembling the baklava:
Brush melted butter on the bottom and sides of a 9 by 13 inch glass baking dish using a pastry brush.
Place a sheet (12 inches by 18 inches) of phyllo pastry on a clean working surface. Keep the rest of the phyllo sheets covered with a damp cloth while working with one phyllo sheet at a time.
Brush melted butter over the surface of the sheet of phyllo. Then, fold each sheet in half, buttered side together, to form a 9 by 12 inch rectangle. Lay the rectangle in the bottom of the 9 by 13 inch baking dish. Brush the top of the sheet in the baking dish with butter. Repeat with a 2nd, 3rd and 4th sheet. You do not have to brush butter on the top of the last sheet.
Scatter 2 1/4 cups of the ground nut/sugar mixture over the phyllo pastry.
Cover with 2 more buttered and doubled sheets of phyllo pastry.
Scatter 1 1/2 cups of the ground nut/sugar mixture over the phyllo pastry.
Cover with 2 more buttered and doubled sheets of phyllo pastry.
Scatter the last (2 1/4 cups) of the ground nut/sugar mixture over the phyllo pastry.
Repeat brushing with melted butter and folding in half the last 4 sheets of phyllo pastry, and buttering the top of the doubled sheet before laying the next sheet over it in the baking dish. Finish by brushing as much of the remaining melted butter as needed, over the last sheet.
Cut through entire stack of phyllo pastry and nuts to the bottom, so as to score the sheets, so that you will be able to portion the baklava for serving at the end. In this instance, I cut the pastry into 3 by 4 pieces and then cut each of the resulting 12 squares, on the diagonal, for a total of 24 triangles.
Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the top is a nice golden brown.
Spoon the room temperature syrup down along the scored cut lines and along the outer edges of the baklava. Spoon the remainder of the syrup over the surface of the baklava. Allow the baklava to come to room temperature and the syrup to be absorbed into the phyllo and nut mixture before cutting again down through the guide lines and to the bottom.
Serve at room temperature or cold.