« Grandma's Deep Dish Apple Pie | Main | Kelli's Tomato Cream Pasta Sauce »

December 26, 2006

Mom's Baklava

Baklava Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds of walnutss and almonds, chopped fine
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
40 sheets Athens Fillo Dough, thawed
1 cup butter, melted
Warm Syrup (recipe below)

Warm Syrup Ingredients:
1 cups sugar
1 cup Karo syrup
2 cups water
1 cup honey
1 lemon peel or 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Warm Syrup Directions:
Bring all ingredients to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Strain and cool.

Baklava Directions:
Combine walnuts and almonds, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. Brush 12" x16" baking pan with butter. Overlap 8 sheets on bottom of pan, buttering each sheet as you place in the the pan, covering the bottom. Sprniklg with 1/3 walnut mixture. Overlap 8 more buttered fillow sheets on top. Spread 1/3 additional walnut mixture over the fillo. Overlap with another 8 buttered fillo sheets and the remaining walnut mixture.

Finish baklava by overlapping the remaining 16 sheets, buttering the sheets as you fut them in the pan. With sharp knife, score fillo into 1 1/2" diamonds or squares. Brush with remaining butter. Bake in preheated 350 degrees farenheight over for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until golen brown. Cool slightly and pour warm syrup evenly over baklava. Cool completely, cut and serve.

General Fillo Dough Handling Directions:

  • Allow fillow dough to thaw in refrigerator overnight. Bring to room temperature before using.

  • Carefully unroll fillow sheets onto a smooth, dry surface.

  • Cover fillo completely with plastic wrap, then a damp towel.

  • Keep fillo covered until needed. DO not leave uncovered for more than one minute to avoid drying out.

  • Microwave butter until melted. This will give you a lighter and flakier pastry.

  • Brush each layer of fillo with melted butter, margerine, or oil.

  • To prevent edges from cracking, brush edges first and then work into center.

  • Be sure to brush the last layer of fillo with melted butter.

  • Fillings should be chilled and not excessively moist.

  • Fillo may be rolled and refrozen to store when not in use.

    • Posted by Kelli Little at December 26, 2006 12:04 AM