Raisin Pecan Baklava Recipes

BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Remove the thawed phyllo from the fridge 1 hour before using. When working with the phyllo dough, only remove the sheets you immediately need, keeping the other sheets covered in plastic wrap, then a damp cloth.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) of the butter in a small saucepan.
• Toss together the chopped pecans and cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside.
• Thoroughly butter a rectangular baking pan with the melted butter. Make sure the sheets of phyllo will generally fit in the pan. (If they're a little bigger, that's okay; if they're much bigger, just trim them with a sharp knife.)
• Butter the top sheet of phyllo with melted butter, then grab it and the unbuttered sheet below it. Flip the sheets over and set them in the pan buttered-side down. Press them lightly into the pan. Repeat this twice more, so that you have 6 sheets of phyllo in the pan, 3 of the sheets buttered.
• Sprinkle on enough pecans to make a single layer. Butter 2 sheets of phyllo and place them on top of the pecans buttered-sides down. Add more pecans, then 2 more buttered phyllo sheets. Repeat this a couple more times, or until you're out of pecans. Top with 4 more buttered phyllo sheets, buttered-sides down. Butter the top of the final sheet.
• Cut a diagonal diamond pattern in the baklava using a very sharp knife. Bake until very golden brown, about 45 minutes.
• While the baklava is baking, combine the honey, sugar, vanilla, 1/2 cup water and the remaining 1 stick butter in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
• When you remove the baklava from the oven, drizzle half of the honey mixture evenly all over the top. Allow it to sit and absorb for a minute, then drizzle on a little more until you think it's thoroughly moistened. You'll likely have some of the honey mixture leftover, which you can drink with a straw. Just kidding.
• Allow the baklava to cool, uncovered, for several hours. Once cool and sticky and divine, carefully remove from the pan and serve with coffee (or give as gifts!).

ORANGE-PECAN BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Chop the pecans and walnuts in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add the Sweet Wintery Spice Blend and pulse to combine.
• Using a pastry brush, brush the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with some melted butter. Add 2 sheets of phyllo, then brush with more butter. Continue in this manner until you have stacked 10 sheets of phyllo. Cover with a quarter of the nut mixture.
• Add 5 sheets of phyllo, brushing with butter after the second and the fourth sheets. After the fifth sheet, add another quarter of the nut mixture. Repeat adding 5 sheets and a quarter of the nut mixture two more times.
• Top with the remaining phyllo sheets, brushing with butter every 2 sheets. Brush extra butter on the top. Cut diagonal strips about 1 inch apart. Cut another row of diagonal strips in the opposite direction.
• Bake until golden and crispy, 75 to 90 minutes. Check for doneness after 1 hour by lifting the top layers of phyllo from the center to reveal the nut mixture--the phyllo should look dry-ish and crisp.
• As soon as the baklava comes out of the oven, pour the Orange-Honey Syrup over the top. Let sit for at least 5 hours to allow the syrup to soak in.
• Cut the baklava into diamonds. It will keep for 5 days covered with plastic wrap.
• Mix together the sugar, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom and cloves in a small bowl until well combined. Store in a small, airtight container.
• Add the honey, sugar, cinnamon sticks, orange zest and 2 cups water to a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until thickened slightly, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the orange juice and vanilla extract; cook another 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

PECAN BOURBON BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Make Baklava:
• Preheat oven to 375 ̊F with rack in the middle. Lightly brush a 13 by 9-inch baking pan with melted butter.
• Pulse pecans, sugar, and cinnamon in a food processor until finely chopped.
• Cut phyllo sheets in half crosswise, forming 18 (12 by 8 1/2-inch) sheets, then arrange in 1 stack and cover with plastic wrap.
• Keeping remaining phyllo covered and working quickly, place 1 sheet on a work surface and gently brush with butter. Top with another sheet and brush with butter. Continue layering until you have a stack of 6 buttered sheets. Transfer stack to the baking dish and sprinkle with one-third of the pecan mixture. Build a second stack of 3 phyllo sheets, buttering between each layer. Transfer to a baking dish sprinkle with half of remaining pecan mixture. Repeat with another stack of 3 buttered sheets and sprinkle with remaining pecan mixture. Top with a stack of 6 buttered sheets.
• Score pastry with a sharp knife in quarters lengthwise, then score on a diagonal making 6 cuts about 2 inches apart to create a diamond pattern.
• Bake baklava 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 ̊F until top is golden, 40-45 minutes more.
• Make syrup while baklava bakes:
• Bring honey, sugar, water, cloves, zest, and 1/4 cup bourbon to a simmer in a small pot, stirring until sugar and honey have dissolved. Remove from heat and let stand while baklava finishes baking.
• When baklava has finished baking, transfer in pan to a rack. Boil syrup until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in remaining 2 Tbsp bourbon. Discard zest and cloves and pour hot syrup to be absorbed and flavors to develop. Cut into diamonds by cutting lengthwise into fourths, then diagonally across.

BAKLAVA RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. I used a 16.5 x 11.38 x 1 inches baking sheet, but for some reason the phyllo pastry sheets are always too big. To rectify this problem, simply cut the sheets to the size of the baking sheet.
• In a food processor add the pecans and the cinnamon and pulse them a few times until finely chopped. Set about 1/4 of chopped pecans aside to use for sprinkling over the top of the baklava.
• In a medium sauce pan, add the sugar, water, butter, vanilla extract and honey. Stir well and bring to a boil. After it starts boiling reduce heat to medium low and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. Let it cool.

ROLLED BAKLAVA WITH GOLDEN RAISINS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine nuts, cinnamon, cloves, and dried fruit. Add brandy; combine well with your fingers.
• Lay 1 sheet of phyllo horizontally on a work surface; brush with butter. Lay another sheet of phyllo on top; brush with butter. Halve horizontally. Spoon 1/4 cup nut filling over bottom of each stack; roll each, tightly forming long rolls. Transfer to a baking sheet; brush rolls with butter. Repeat with remaining 2 sheets of phyllo.
• Open the package of kadaifi dough, and spread 1 1/8 cups (1 1/4 ounces) on a work surface. Reseal package so dough doesn't dry out. Wrap kadaifi dough all the way around one log; place on the baking sheet. Brush with melted butter. Repeat with remaining 3 logs and kadaifi dough. Bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
• While pastries are baking, bring sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce the heat, and simmer 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside to cool. Let pastries cool for 5 minutes, then drizzle with sugar syrup and slice into 1-inch pieces.

GREEK PECAN BAKLAVA

Steps:

• In a saucepan combine 2 cups sugar, 1 cup water, liquid honey, brandy, lemon juice and cinnamon stick; bring to a boil over medium heat stirring constantly, boil for about 1 minute (or until the sugar is completely dissolved) then remove from heat; cool syrup COMPLETELY.
• In another bowl toss the chopped pecans with 1 cup sugar, cinnamon and cloves.
• Brush 2 (13 x 9-inch) baking pans with melted butter.
• Place 8 phyllo sheets in 1 pan, brushing EACH sheet with melted butter, then top with 2 cups pecan mixture.
• Place 3 phyllo sheets over the pecan mixture, brushing each sheet with melted butter, then top with 2 cups of pecan mixture.
• Repeat with 3 more phyllo sheets and then 2 cups pecan mixture.
• Top with 6 phyllo sheets, brushing all but the top sheet with melted butter.
• Repeat the procedure with remaining phyllo sheets and the pecan mixture for the second pan.
• Using a sharp knife cut layers diagonally into 3/4-inch diamonds; gently brush with remaining butter.
• Insert a clove in the center of each diamond.
• Bake in a 300°F oven for 1 hour.
• Remove from the oven and pour the prepared reserved syrup evenly over the baked baklava.
• Cool completely in the pans on wire racks.
• When cooled cut again diagonally; remove from pans and store in airtight containers at room temperature.

RAISIN PECAN PIE

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°., Pour boiling water over raisins in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Drain. In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar, melted butter, vinegar, vanilla and spices until blended. Stir in pecans and drained raisins. Pour into crust., Bake on a lower oven rack until filling is set, 35-40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.

GLAZED PECAN-RAISIN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a nonstick Bundt pan (12-cup capacity), tapping out excess flour; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, nutmeg, and baking powder; set aside.
• In another large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add brandy; beat until combined. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture; beat just until combined (do not overmix). Fold in pecans and raisins.
• Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake until cake has pulled away from sides of pan and a toothpick inserted in top comes out clean, 1 1/2 hours. Immediately invert onto a wire rack, and let cool completely.
• Set rack with cake over a rimmed baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners sugar and orange juice until smooth. Drizzle cake with glaze.

PECAN RAISIN BREAD

Steps:

• In bread machine pan, place the first eight ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select basic bread setting. Choose crust color and loaf size if available. , Bake according to bread machine directions (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed). , Just before the final kneading (your machine may audibly signal this), add pecans and raisins. , Freeze option: Securely wrap and freeze cooled loaf in foil and place in resealable plastic freezer bag. To use, thaw at room temperature.

RAISIN-PECAN BREAD

Steps:

• Combine the raisins and boiling water in a bowl and set aside for 10 minutes. In the container of a food processor, combine 1/2cup of the pecan halves and sugar and pulse until the pecans are very finely ground. Set aside. Thoroughly drain the raisins and set them aside.
• Place the warm water and yeast in a large bowl. Break the poolish into small pieces with your hands or a wooden spoon and add it to the bowl. Stir until fairly dissolved. Stir in the flour, ground pecans and sugar and salt. Stir until combined.
• Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. Slowly begin to fold in the raisins and the remaining pecan halves a little at a time. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with a tea towel and let rise until doubled in bulk, 1 to 2 hours.
• Gently turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and cut into 3 equal pieces. Leave the pieces on your work surface and cover them with a tea towel. Let them rest for 10 minutes.
• Gently shape each piece into a short log and place the logs on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Cover with the tea towel and let rise until the loaves just hold a fingerprint when lightly pressed, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees and have a plant sprayer full of fresh water ready. Using a single-sided razor at a 30-degree angle, slash the loaves diagonally with 2 3-inch slashes each. When the oven is hot, spray it thoroughly with water and immediately put the bread in and close the door. Spray the oven (not the bread) again 2 more times during the first 5 minutes of baking. Bake until bread is very brown and sounds hollow when the bottom is tapped, 25 to 30 minutes more.
• Remove the loaves from the oven and cool them on a wire rack.

TIPSY RAISIN PECAN PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Toss together raisins, pecans and flour in a medium size bowl until raisins and pecans are well coated with flour.
• Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until well blended (I use my stand mixer).
• Add divided egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add 2 tablespoons whiskey, vinegar, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice; blend well. Stir in raisin & nut mixture and set aside.
• Beat egg whites and salt in a medium size bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until soft peaks form (I use my stand mixer for this also).
• Fold whites into raisin & nut mixture. Pour into pie crust.
• Bake for 35 minutes or until slightly puffed and set.
• Serve warm or at room temperature with Spiked Whipped Cream, if desired.
• To make Spiked Whipped Cream: Beat together one cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons whiskey in a medium size bowl until soft peaks form.