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Baklava

17/11/2023

Baklava is a typical dessert of the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean basin cuisines, with numerous variations. Here’s the basic recipe to make baklava, with a small Italian twist that could be the addition of a bit of limoncello to the syrup for a citrusy aroma.

Ingredients

  • 1 package of phyllo dough
  • 300 g of chopped nuts (you can also use pistachios, almonds, or a mix)
  • 100 g of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • A pinch of ground cloves (optional)
  • 250 g of melted butter
  • Syrup:
    • 200 ml of water
    • 350 g of sugar
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • Zest of 1 lemon
    • 2 tablespoons of honey
    • (Optional) 2 tablespoons of limoncello

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 160 °C.
  2. Mix the chopped nuts with sugar, cinnamon, and ground cloves.
  3. Cut the phyllo dough so that it fits the size of your baking pan. Cover the sheets with a damp cloth to keep them from drying out.
  4. Grease the bottom of the pan with some melted butter.
  5. Layer about 8 sheets of phyllo dough in the pan, brushing each layer with melted butter.
  6. Sprinkle a third of the nut mixture over the phyllo.
  7. Add another two or three layers of phyllo dough, always brushing with butter, then another layer of nuts, and so on until the ingredients are used up, finishing with a layer of phyllo dough.
  8. Cut the baklava into the desired shape (usually diamonds or squares) before baking.
  9. Bake for about 50 minutes or until the baklava is golden and crispy.
  10. Meanwhile, prepare the syrup by boiling the water with sugar, the cinnamon stick, and lemon zest for about 10 minutes.
  11. Remove from the heat, discard the cinnamon stick and lemon zest, and add the honey and limoncello.
  12. Pour the hot syrup over the freshly baked baklava and allow it to soak in and cool completely.

Baklava is best if left to rest for a few hours or even a day before serving to allow the flavors to blend perfectly.

Curiosity

Baklava has a very ancient history, and it is said that they were invented in the imperial palace of Istanbul. They are popular in many countries that were once part of the Ottoman Empire, with slight regional differences.

Baklava