Authentic Greek Style Baklava Recipes

BAKLAVA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and cloves; set aside. Brush a 15x10x1-in. baking pan with some of the butter. Unroll 1 package phyllo dough; cut stack into a 10-1/2x9-in. rectangle. Repeat with remaining phyllo. Discard scraps., Line bottom of prepared pan with 2 sheets of phyllo dough (sheets will overlap slightly). Brush with butter. Repeat layers 14 times. (Keep dough covered with a damp towel until ready to use to prevent it from drying out.) , Spread with 2 cups walnut mixture. Top with 5 layers of phyllo dough, brushing with butter between each sheet. Spread with remaining walnut mixture. Top with 1 layer of phyllo dough; brush with butter. Repeat 14 times. Cut into 2-1/2-in. squares; cut each square in half diagonally. Brush remaining butter over top. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown., In a large saucepan, bring syrup ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes. Strain and discard zest; cool to lukewarm. Pour syrup over warm baklava.

AUTHENTIC GREEK STYLE BAKLAVA

Steps:

• In a large size saucepan, combine 2 cups of sugar, the water, salt, honey, lemon juice, a cinnamon stick and 4 whole cloves, bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a gentle boil for 15 minutes. Then remove the cinnamon stick and the cloves from the water mixture. Set mixture aside and let cool completely.
• In a small size skillet, spray with a nonstick cooking spray. Place on medium heat and add finely chopped almonds, stir until lightly golden. Remove from heat and toss them with the chopped pistachios and add 1/2 teaspoon salt, toss again to coat evenly with the salt and set aside.
• Remove the phyllo dough from the freezer and let sit inside of its own wrappers for 30 minutes to thaw.
• Gently unroll the phyllo dough on a flat surface and keep it covered with waxed paper and a damp towel so it doesn't dry out and become brittle while working. Once thawed, remove 8 phyllo sheets, fold, cover and refrigerate them for the top layer, and cover remaining sheets that you will be working with and set aside, covered.
• In a small size skillet, melt 3 1/2 sticks of butter on low heat, keep warm while layering baklava.
• Using a pastry brush, brush a 15 1/2 by 11 1/2 by 3 inch baking dish (lasagna pan) with some of the melted butter. Lay 2 phyllo sheets on the bottom of the pan, brush with butter, and repeat, using a total of 8 sheets for the first layer. Then sprinkle a handful of the nut mixture over the top of the phyllo sheets. Layer 4 more phyllo sheets, brushing each layer with butter, and sprinkle again with a handful of the nut mixture. Continue until all the phyllo sheets and nuts are used, being sure to brush each sheet with butter as you layer. Use the reserved 8 sheets of phyllo for the last top layer.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Using a long, very sharp knife, cut the baklava into small squares, or for a more elegant look, diamond shapes. For the diamond shapes: First make 6 evenly spaced lengthwise cuts. Cut straight down until the tip of the knife touches the bottom of the pan, and keeping the knife straight, cut in a straight line all the way to the other end. Next, cut diagonally across the lengthwise cuts to form diamond shapes, starting in one corner and making cuts until you reach the opposite corner.
• Heat up the remaining butter until it slightly bubbles, then pour it evenly over the top of the pastry. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until evenly golden and flaky. Remove from the oven and spoon the cooled syrup evenly over the entire pastry. Cool in the pan, then serve pieces individually, placing them in decorative paper cups if desired.
• Makes: About 64 pieces.

GREEK BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.
• Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.
• Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
• Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.

TRADITIONAL GREEK BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Mix the walnuts, breadcrumbs and cinnamon. Butter your baking pan (large enough to lay out the pastry while lining the sides of the pan as well) and place 5 sheets of the pastry on the bottom, 1 by 1, buttering each individually as you place it on the bottom. Cover the remaining phyllo sheets with a slightly damp kitchen towel for the time being so they do not dry out.
• With a large spoon evenly spread 1/2 the nut filling over all the pastry. Cover the filling with another 3 sheets of phyllo pastry, again individually buttering each as you place it. Evenly spoon on the remaining 1/2 of the nut mixture and place another 5 sheets of phyllo pastry on top, again buttering each individually as you place it. Pat the top pastry sheets down very gently and cut away any excess round the edges with a very sharp knife.
• Cut the Baklava into triangle servings. Place a clove on every 3rd or so piece, puncturing the pastry with the stem of the clove. Bake the Baklava in a well preheated oven at 180ºC - 350ºF for 1 hour approximately or until the pastry is golden. Remove the Baklava from the oven.
• Prepare the syrup by boiling the water, sugar and juice of your preference in a saucepan over a gentle flame, stirring with a whisk, for about 10 minutes and then allow the syrup to cool. Pour the syrup onto the Baklava (cold syrup - hot Baklava). When the Baklava absorbs the syrup it is normal for the top layer of pastry to remain crispy. Allow the Baklava to cool and then knock yourself out -- the edges are extra delicious --
• *** Under no circumstances should an oven fan be used while baking the Baklava. It will burn the top pastry layers and edges within minutes.

HOW TO MAKE THE TRADITIONAL GREEK BAKLAVA

Steps:

• For the honey syrup: in a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water, cinnamon stick and orange peel and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the honey and boil for 3-4 minutes so the syrup thickens slightly. Remove from heat and set aside to let cool. You can refrigerate the cooled syrup in an airtight container for 4 days. (*If you are only making half the recipe [i.e., a small batch], make only half the syrup.*)
• For the nut filling: Place the walnuts in a food processor and pulse them a few times until they are chopped to a medium-fine consistency (making sure to not over-process them or the nuts will become a paste). Put the chopped walnuts in a bowl and combine them with the sugar, breadcrumbs, cinnamon and cloves. Divide the mixture into two equal portions; one for each of the two round pans.
• Preheat the oven to 350° F.
• To assemble the small batch baklava: unwrap and unfold the filo. Place it on a large cutting board, and, using the bottom of an 8" cake pan as a guide, cut the sheets of filo into two stacks of 8" circles (see photo). Set aside the second stack of filo sheets and cover it with plastic wrap and a towel. Brush the sides of the first pan with some melted butter. Place one filo sheet in the bottom of the pan and brush it with some butter. Repeat with 7 more filo sheets, placing each one in the pan and making sure to butter each one of them. Sprinkle ⅓ cup of the first nut mixture evenly over the eighth sheet. Layer the next 2 buttered filo rounds and sprinkle another ⅓ cup of nuts. Repeat with two more layers of buttered filo and the last ⅓ cup of nuts. Continue layering the rest 8 sheets of filo sheets until they are all used. There should be about 20 filo sheets in total, depending on the thickness of the filo and the brand. Repeat the same with the second stack of filo rounds and the remaining half of the nut mixture. (* If you are making half the recipe [i.e., a small batch], wrap the second pan with plastic wrap and then with heavy duty aluminum foil and place it in the freezer for another time.*]
• Scoring and Baking: using a serrated knife with a pointed tip, cut the baklava into small squares or diamond-shaped pieces, or, follow the star pattern of the photo. If you wish, top each piece with a small, whole clove for decoration. Bake, uncovered, for about 45-50 minutes or until the top layers of filo are light golden and crisp. Every oven is different, so the cooking time may vary.
• Remove from the oven and pour the cooled honey syrup slowly and evenly over the top of the baklava and especially over the cut lines (the syrup will sizzle). It might look like a lot of syrup initially, but it will all be absorbed as it cools down. Let the baklava sit uncovered for at least 8 hours (overnight is best) before serving. It can be covered loosely and stored for a week at room temperature.