Food Network Baklava Recipes

BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 390 degrees F then reduce heat to 300 degrees F before adding the baklava.
• Combine walnuts, cinnamon, ground cloves, sugar and bread crumbs together in a large bowl.
• Grease a baking pan with the melted butter. It should be the same size as the sheets of pastry. Trim the pastry to fit, if needed.
• Brush 1 sheet of pastry with melted butter and place in the bottom of the pan. Repeat this until you have a layer about 5 or 6 sheets deep. Cover with some of the nut filling. Place 2 more buttered pastry sheets on top and cover with more of the nut filling. Continue the layers until all of the filling is used. Use the last 4 or 5 of the buttered pastry sheets as the top layer.
• Using a small sharp knife cut a diamond shaped pattern into the baklava, cutting through the layers to the bottom of the pan. Stud the top of the baklava with the whole cloves.
• Bake in the center of the pre-heated oven for 1 1/2 hours. For fan-forced ovens it may be necessary to cover the baklava with aluminum foil to prevent it becoming too dark.
• When baked through remove and cool to room temperature.
• To make the syrup:
• Place the sugar, honey, water, cloves, butter and cinnamon in a saucepan and stir to combine. Boil for 7 to 10 minutes, then remove the cloves and cinnamon, with a slotted spoon and add the lemon juice.
• Pour the boiling syrup over the room temperature baklava. Allow to cool to the touch and serve.

BAKLAVA

Steps:

• For the syrup: Combine 1 1/4 cups water and the sugar in a small pot. Bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, and then reduce the heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and pour into another bowl so that it cools down quickly. For the baklava: Preheat the oven to 360 degrees F. Brush a baking sheet with butter. Unroll one package of phyllo. Lay 2 sheets of phyllo down in the center of the baking sheet, and then drizzle with some butter. Repeat the layering 4 more times, each time allowing 2 to 3 inches of the phyllo to drape over one rim of the pan, until all 4 rims of the pan have been covered. Sprinkle with a thin layer of pistachios. Fold the draped phyllo over the pistachio and drizzle with more butter. Repeat the layering with the phyllo, butter and remaining pistachios until the first package of phyllo (24 sheets total) is used up.
• Unroll the second package of phyllo. Lay 2 sheets of phyllo dough onto the previous layers of baklava. Drizzle lightly with butter. Repeat layering phyllo and drizzling with butter until the second package of phyllo is finished. Dip a sharp knife into hot water and cut the baklava into rectangles. Brush the top liberally with butter.
• Bake the baklava for 15 minutes on a low rack in the oven, and then transfer to the top rack and bake for 15 minutes longer. For best taste, cool and let rest for 24 hours so that the syrup fully permeates the baklava.

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!).

BAKLAVA BLONDIES

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease an 8-inch square baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray and line with a piece of parchment paper so that it has 2 inches of overhang on 2 sides of the pan.
• To make the batter: In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter, honey, salt, cinnamon, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Whisk together for 1 minute until smooth. Add the egg and whisk to incorporate. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Fold in the nuts, scrape into the prepared baking dish and bake until puffed and golden brown on the edges but still light in the center, 28 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan to room temperature.
• Remove the blondie from the pan and spread the Frosting on top in a swirly layer. Garnish with chopped pistachios and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the frosting to get firm for nice slicing. Slice into diamond-shaped bars and serve.
• To prepare the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), cream together the butter and honey until light and creamy, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar, lemon zest and juice and salt, then whip for 2 to 3 minutes or until pale and fluffy.

BAKLAVA

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine 3 cups of the sugar, the water, honey, lemon juice cinnamon stick and whole cloves, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and cloves, and let cool.
• In a large bowl, combine the walnuts, almonds, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves and set aside.
• Unroll the filo 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. Remove 8 filo sheets, fold, cover and refrigerate for the top layer. Using a pastry brush, brush a 15 1/2 by 11 1/2 by 3 inch baking pan with some of the melted butter. Lay a filo sheet on the bottom of the pan, brush with butter, and repeat using a total of 8 sheets. Sprinkle a handful of the nut mixture over the top filo sheet. Layer 3 more filo sheets, brushing each with butter, and sprinkle again with a handful of the nut mixture. Continue until all the filo sheets and nuts are used, being sure to brush each sheet with butter. Use the reserved 8 sheets of filo for the last, top layer.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Using a long, very sharp knife, cut the baklava into small diamonds: 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. Next, cut diagonally across the lengthwise cuts to form diamonds, starting in one corner and making cuts until you reach the opposite corner.
• Heat the remaining butter until it bubbles and pour it over the top of the pastry. Bake for 1 1/4
• hours or until evenly golden and flaky. Remove to a rack and spoon the cooled syrup over the entire pastry. Cool in the pan, then serve pieces individually, placing them in decorative paper cups if desired.

BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom of a 9- by 13-inch pan.
• Mix together the ground nuts, graham crackers and cinnamon in a bowl. Spread a phyllo sheet in the buttered pan and brush on some more butter with a pastry brush. Put down another sheet and repeat this process with 10 sheets, buttering each sheet. Sprinkle 1/4 of the nut mixture on top of the 10th sheet.
• Layer on 4 more phyllo sheets, buttering each sheet, and top the last sheet with another 1/4 of the nut mixture. Repeat with 2 more layers of 4 phyllo sheets and 1/4 nut mixture, buttering each sheet. Top with 10 more sheets of buttered phyllo, adding lots of butter to the top of last sheet.
• Before baking, cut into diamond shapes with a sawing action using a sharp knife as phyllo is fragile and will tear easily. Bake on the lower rack of the oven until golden brown, 1 hour.
• For the syrup: While the baklava is baking, combine the sugar, honey and 1 1/2 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and let cook for 10 to 15 minutes, and then add the lemon juice and boil for a few minutes longer. Remove the syrup from the heat and let the mixture cool slightly.
• Let the baklava cool slightly. Pour the honey mixture on top -- both syrup and baklava should be warm while doing this. Let the baklava and syrup cool thoroughly, uncovered. Let the syrup soak into the baklava for at least 6 hours or overnight.

BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the cinnamon stick and whole allspice into a spice grinder and grind.
• Place the almonds, walnuts, pistachios, sugar and freshly ground spices into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, but not pasty or powdery, approximately 15 quick pulses. Set aside.
• Combine the water and rose water in a small spritz bottle and set aside.
• Trim the sheets of phyllo to fit the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch metal pan. Brush the bottom and sides of the pan with butter; lay down a sheet of phyllo and brush with butter. Repeat this step 9 more times for a total of 10 sheets of phyllo. Top with 1/3 of the nut mixture and spread thinly. Spritz thoroughly with the rose water. Layer 6 more sheets of phyllo with butter in between each of them, followed by another third of the nuts and spritz with rose water. Repeat with another 6 sheets of phyllo, butter, remaining nuts, and rose water. Top with 8 sheets of phyllo brushing with butter in between each sheet. Brush the top generously with butter. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cut into 28 squares. Return pan to the oven and continue to bake for another 30 minutes. Remove pan from the oven, place on a cooling rack, and cool for 2 hours before adding the syrup.
• Make the syrup during the last 30 minutes of cooling. Combine the honey, water, sugar, cinnamon stick and orange peel in a 4-quart saucepan and set over high heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Once boiling, boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and discard the orange peel and cinnamon stick.
• After the baklava has cooled for 2 hours, re-cut the entire pan following the same lines as before. Pour the hot syrup evenly over the top of the baklava, allowing it to run into the cuts and around the edges of the pan. Allow the pan to sit, uncovered until completely cool. Cover and store at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to overnight before serving. Store, covered, at room temperature for up to 5 days.