Pecan Bourbon Baklava Recipes

BOURBON PECAN BAKLAVA RECIPE - (4.5/5)

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine sugar, bourbon, 1 cup water, vanilla bean, and reserved seeds. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook until mixture registers 225° on a deep-frying/candy thermometer. Remove from heat, and stir in honey. Strain mixture, discarding vanilla bean. Let cool completely. In a large bowl, combine pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Line a 17x12-inch rimmed baking sheet with 1 sheet of phyllo dough, letting edges of dough extend over sides of pan, if necessary. Brush with melted butter. Continue layering pan with phyllo dough, covering bottom of pan only, to make 8 layers. Brush between layers with melted butter. (To prevent phyllo from drying when not in use, cover with a moist towel.) Sprinkle 3/4 cup pecan mixture evenly over top layer of phyllo. Cover pecan layer with 1 layer phyllo; brush with melted butter. Repeat procedure with remaining pecan mixture for 8 more layers. Top the last layer of nuts with 9 layers of phyllo, brushing all but the top sheet with butter. (Trim edges of phyllo if they overhang.) Preheat oven to 300°. Cut layers diagonally into 3/4- to 1-inch diamonds. In a small saucepan, heat remaining butter over medium heat until butter has a nutty aroma and is dark brown in color. Pour butter evenly over baklava. Bake for 1 hour. Let cool completely. Pour bourbon mixture evenly over baklava. Let sit for at least 24 hours before removing from pan. Store at room temperature for up to 1 week.

BACON PECAN BOURBON BAKLAVA

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9- by 13-inch baking pan. 2. In a large bowl, thoroughly combine the figs and 2 tablespoons bourbon. Let stand until the bourbons soaks into the figs. Meanwhile, cook the bacon as directed until very well browned. Drain on paper towels, then crumble very finely. Very finely chop the pecans. Stir the bacon, pecans, and ½ cup sugar into the fig mixture. 3. Lay a sheet of phyllo into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Lightly brush with melted butter. Repeat with 4 more phyllo sheets and butter. Spread one-third of the filling evenly over the phyllo. On a clean work surface, lightly brush 1 phyllo sheet with butter. Top with another phyllo sheet and lightly butter. Repeat with 3 more phyllo sheets and butter, then press the stack on top of the filling. Spread half of the remaining filling evenly on top. Repeat this layering of 5 phyllo sheets and bacon filling one more time. Top with 5 buttered and stacked phyllo sheets, buttering the top well. 4. With a small, sharp serrated knife, cut the baklava into 48 diamonds. Bake the baklava until dark golden brown, about 1 hour. 5. While the baklava bakes, bring the maple syrup, water, remaining ½ cup sugar, and remaining 3 tablespoons bourbon to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. As soon as the baklava comes out of the oven, pour the syrup evenly on top. Let stand for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.

PECAN-ORANGE BAKLAVA PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring honey, cinnamon sticks, 1 cup sugar, and 1 cup water to a boil in medium heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium and continue to boil until syrup is reduced to about 1 1/2 cups, 15-18 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl, stir in bourbon, and let cool.
• Meanwhile, spread pecans on large rimmed baking sheet and toast until golden brown, 13-15 minutes. Let cool. Transfer nuts to a food processor. Add ground cinnamon, 1 tsp. orange zest, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar and pulse until coarsely chopped.
• Place stack of phyllo sheets on a work surface. Keep any phyllo you're not currently working with covered under a layer of plastic wrap topped with a slightly damp kitchen towel. Using base of springform pan as a guide, and starting at edge of phyllo, carefully cut out 20 (9") circles, leaving as much phyllo remaining as possible. Cover phyllo circles. Using base of pan as a guide, cut remaining phyllo into 20 (4 1/2") half-circles.
• Insert base into pan and secure the latch. Brush base with butter. Place 1 phyllo circle in pan and brush generously with butter. Top with 2 half-circles to create a full circle, brush with butter. Top with full circle, brush again. Top with 2 more half-circles at a 90° angle from the first half-circle layer, brush with butter. Top with a full circle, and brush again. You should have 5 layers of pastry (full circle - half-circles - full circle - half circles - full circle), with butter spread between each layer. Spread one-fifth of nut mixture over phyllo. Repeat layering 4 more times. Top with the 5 remaining phyllo circles; brush top with butter.
• Using a sharp knife, score the top layer (do not cut through to bottom of pan) to divide into 4 quadrants. Working with 1 quadrant at a time, make 1 straight cut to divide the quadrant into 2 even wedges. Make 4 more straight cuts (2 each on either side of, and parallel to the quadrant division line), spacing evenly apart. Now working within each wedge, make 2 evenly-spaced cuts parallel to the outside edge of the quadrant, connecting at points with the previous cuts to form a diamond pattern. Repeat with the remaining quadrants to create a starburst pattern. Transfer pan to a rimmed baking sheet and bake until phyllo is golden brown, about 45 minutes.
• Spoon cooled syrup over hot baklava in 4 additions. Place orange curls on top. Let cool completely in pan. Remove springform ring and cut baklava along the scored lines.
• Do Ahead
• Syrup can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Baklava can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.

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.