Original Turkish baklava, and also Greek, one of the many original versions of a traditional Middle Eastern and Balkan dessert based on phyllo pastry, honey and nuts.
In 2009, before my third child was born, together with dear friends and supported by our campers, we took a four-week trip to Greece: it was there that we first tasted the famous baklava, along with many other recipes like Greek Moussaka or the more famous Greek pita, and it was love at first bite!
The following year we went to Turkey, where baklava is a national dessert and we ate plenty there too. Since then I hadn’t eaten it again, even though I often promised myself I would make it at the first opportunity — well, more than 12 years have passed and it’s time to roll up my sleeves).
This specialty is widespread throughout the Middle East and the Balkans, sometimes in slightly different versions, but generally quite similar and made with few ingredients. It’s truly exceptional: rich in flavor and calories, made of several layers of buttered phyllo pastry, topped with lots of chopped nuts and drenched in a honey syrup — it’s a dessert you love at first bite, but it should be enjoyed with great moderation.
If you’ve never made baklava or never tasted it, you really must try it — this baklava recipe was given to me by a Turkish reader who’s followed me for years! I hope the recipe piques your curiosity and you’ll make it; if you already know it like I do, you certainly know what I’m talking about and I’m sure you won’t hesitate to prepare it because it’s truly exceptional!! Let’s go to the kitchen to discover the Turkish, Greek or Middle Eastern baklava. Before heading into the kitchen, remember that if you want to stay updated on all my recipes you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here).
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- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Expensive
- Rest time: 12 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 10-12 servings
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: International
Ingredients to make Turkish baklava
- 10.6 oz Phyllo pastry (about 16 sheets)
- 1 cup Almonds
- 1.5 cups Walnut kernels
- 0.75 cup Chopped pistachios
- 7 oz Butter (about 1 3/4 US sticks)
- 0.88 cup Honey
- 6.5 tbsp Sugar
- 3.4 fl oz Water
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- 1 Orange zest
- 1 Lemon zest
Tools
- Pastry brush
- Baking dish or baking dish 12×8 in
- Oven
Preparation of baklava
Chop the walnut kernels and almonds with a knife, mix them with the chopped pistachios and lightly toast the mixture in a pan for a couple of minutes, stirring often — do not burn them.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Take the first sheet of phyllo pastry, brush it with butter and place it in the baking dish — if it overhangs don’t cut it, it’s better that way.
Repeat with another 6 sheets, brushing and stacking them one on top of the other.Spread 1/3 of the nut mixture over them, cover with a buttered sheet of phyllo and then with another buttered sheet.
Make a layer of nuts and then add two more sheets of phyllo.
Repeat with the last layer of nuts and fold the overhanging edges of phyllo inward.
Cover with the last 3 layers of phyllo, brushing them with butter and tucking the edges underneath.
With a sharp knife, portion into squares about 1 5/8 x 1 5/8 in and bake at 338°F (convection) for 35 minutes or until the top is evenly golden across the visible layers.
While the dessert bakes, prepare the syrup by boiling the water, sugar and honey together with the zest of one orange and one lemon (avoid the white pith, which is very bitter) and the cinnamon stick.
Remove the dessert from the oven and pour the syrup over it, taking care to let it fall especially on the cuts.
Let it rest for 12 hours, then you can enjoy the dessert.
Baklava keeps in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, for up to a week.
Notes and tips
The phyllo pastry, or filo, from the Greek word meaning “leaf”, is a type of very thin layered dough prepared in delicate, separate sheets without adding fat (fat is added afterwards before baking). The process is quite complicated, but phyllo can be found in most well-stocked supermarkets.
You can vary the quantity and type of nuts to your liking.
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