How Sweet It is: Baklava Recipe

The history of Baklava is as diverse as the number of ways it is prepared and the number of countries that claim its origins. Is it generally accepted that Baklava came to us from the Assyrians at around 8th century B.C. Layering nuts with a simple unleavened flat bread and drenched with honey. As only the wealthy of the time can afford this simple luxury, baklava was held as a special dessert for those in high positions of society such as monarchs and kings. In Turkey, to this day, one can hear a common expression: "I am not rich enough to eat Baklava every day".

The Greek seamen and merchants traveling east to Mesopotamia soon discovered the delights of Baklava. It mesmerized their taste buds. They brought the recipe to Athens. The Greeks' major contribution to the development of this pastry is the creation of a dough technique that made it possible to roll it as thin as a leaf, compared to the rough, bread-like texture of the Assyrian dough. In fact, the name "Phyllo" was coined by Greeks, which means "leaf" in the Greek language. In a relatively short time, in every kitchen of wealthy households in the region, trays of baklava were being baked for all kinds of special occasions from the 3rd Century B.C. onwards. The Armenians, as their Kingdom was located on ancient Spice and Silk Routes, integrated for the first time the cinnamon and cloves into the texture of baklava. The Arabs introduced the rose-water and cardamom. The taste changed in subtle nuances as the recipe started crossing borders. To the north of its birthplace, baklava was being baked and served in the palaces of the ancient Persian kingdom. To the west, it was baked in the kitchens of the wealthy Roman mansions, and then in the kitchens of the Byzantine Empire until the fall of the latter in 1453 A.D.

Baklava is normally prepared in large pans. Many layers of phyllo dough ; in Greece, baklava is supposed to be made with 33 dough layers, referring to the years of Christ's life ; separated with melted butter, are laid in the pan. A layer of chopped nuts—typically walnuts or pistachios, but hazelnuts are also sometimes used—is placed on top, then more layers of phyllo. Most recipes have multiple layers of phyllo and nuts, though some have only top and bottom pastry.

Before baking, the dough is cut into regular pieces, often parallelograms (lozenge-shaped), triangles, or rectangles. A syrup, which may include honey, rosewater, or orange flower water is poured over the cooked baklava and allowed to soak in.

Baklava is usually served at room temperature, often garnished with ground nuts.

Here is the Baklava Recipe from Amphora Bakery that you can make at home and if you don’t have time you can simply order it from our Bakery !

Ingredients Recipe makes 3 dozen

· 1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough

· 1 pound chopped nuts (almond, walnut, peanut or pistachio...)

· 1 cup butter

· 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

· 2 teaspoons orange flower water

· 1 cup water

· 1 cup white sugar

· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

· 1/2 cup honey

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.

2. Roast nuts in the oven or using a pan and chop them.

3. Toss with cinnamon and orange flower water or rosewater.

4. Add Sugar and melted butter.

5. Mix all the ingredients and set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work.

6. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top.

7. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.

8. Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.