Baklava


Baklava

 

  

 

This is a combination of several recipes worked out over the years. It differs from many versions in having almonds along with the walnuts, in the slight hint of lemon, and in not overdoing the cinnamon. I chop the nuts in a Thai mortar after toasting them. The assembly is extremely simple — perfect for sharing with Julia. The thought of having a pan of baklava around is making my mouth water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. Combine nuts with cinnamon and ground cloves.
  3. Combine the butter and peanut oil. With a pastry brush, butter the inside of a 9" x 14" roasting pan.
  4. Place a folded sheet of phyllo in the pan, open it up and butter the inside, refold it, and butter the top. Repeat with three more sheets for a total of 8 layers.
  5. Sprinkle a thin layer of nuts over the sheet. Add 2 more sheets (4 layers) buttering between each layer. Repeat the nuts and 4 layers finishing with 8 layers from the last 4 sheets. (The ideal is four layers of nuts.)
  6. With a sharp paring knife, cut through all layers in the long direction so that the pan is divided into 5 strips 1 1/4" wide. Then at a 45°angle make cuts 3" apart resulting in the traditional flattened-rectangle shape. Stick a whole clove into the center of each piece.
  7. Bake for 30 minutes at 350°, and then 45 minutes at 300°.
  8. Meanwhile, boil the water, sugar, cloves and lemon juice for 5 minutes. Remove the cloves and mix in the honey. When the pastry is done, pour the syrup over it and allow to cool.