Today I tried my hand at preparing the Greek sweet baklava of Turkish origin, which can be found not only in Greece but also in other countries in the Balkan and Arab areas.
There are certainly more versions, but the basic ingredients of baklava are always phyllo dough, nuts, and a flavored water and sugar syrup that makes it delicious!
Don’t serve it in the morning for breakfast, but you might enjoy a piece after lunch with a good Greek coffee….
I read several baklava recipes before experimenting with this one, which I offer you with a mix of nuts (which I had in abundance in the pantry) like almonds, pistachios, and walnuts!
I then tried not to use too much butter to brush and then arrange the phyllo dough sheets in the baking dish and not load the syrup with too much sugar, and…well, I liked it, in fact, I loved it and decided to give a good portion to my neighbor Federico, who is so slim and can enjoy it more, ha ha!
Having been a kitchen helper in pubs and restaurants in Bologna for years, I love Greek cuisine and often prepare sauces and moussaka to not forget these excellent preparations and these unforgettable aromas!
WHAT IS PHYLLO DOUGH? Phyllo dough is a dough we find in very thin sheets, used in countries like Greece, Turkey, and others in the Middle East. It is versatile, not very caloric, has a short cooking time, and is greatly adaptable to sweet and savory recipes.
The phyllo dough can be stored for 2/3 days in the refrigerator and can be frozen without any consequences.
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I opened a channel of recipes open to everyone and free on WhatsApp, no notifications, and no sound, which you can subscribe to by clicking on the link here https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaHbGIn9cDDig7Cw2x0F and every day you can read a sweet and a savory recipe!
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If you also love experimenting in the kitchen, here is this collection of recipes!!recipes collection…
GREEK RECIPES COLLECTION
BAKLAVA
The kitchen of ASI
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 24 cm diameter baking dish
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients RECIPE Greek Sweet Baklava
- 1 package phyllo dough
- 3.5 oz walnuts
- 3.5 oz pistachios
- 3.5 oz almonds
- 1 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsps sugar
- 6.3 oz butter (melted)
- 1 cup water
- 1.5 cups sugar
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 lemon zest
Tools RECIPE Greek Sweet Baklava
- Brushes
- Baking Pans
FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE RECIPE Greek Sweet Baklava
To prepare the Greek sweet baklava, first I made the syrup by heating the water with the cinnamon stick, sugar, and lemon zest on the flame.
Melt the butter in the microwave or over very low heat.
Now let’s prepare the baklava filling by chopping the chosen nuts.
As mentioned above, since I had various types, I used both pistachios and almonds and walnuts, but if you prefer, use just one type of nut, whichever you prefer!
In a bowl, place the chosen nuts, preferably chopped with a knife or with the mixer blades but intermittently so as not to crumble them too finely.
Also add sugar and breadcrumbs, mixing the filling well.
At this point, we really start the baklava, buttering the chosen baking pan and placing a sheet of phyllo dough and if it is too large, trim it to the right size, not exceeding too much beyond the size of the baking pan.
Immediately butter the phyllo and continue putting a total of 5 sheets.
Remember always that phyllo dough dries in a nanosecond so while placing one sheet at a time, keep the rest covered with a slightly damp and wrung-out cloth.
Now make a first layer of filling with the nuts, then continue to place the phyllo dough sheets, always buttered, one at a time.
So for the baklava, we have layers of 5 sheets of phyllo and 1 layer of filling, finishing with buttered phyllo.
With a very sharp knife, trace on the dough many diamonds, as seen in a recipe photo, and place a knife tip of the remaining filling after the fillings.
Bake the Greek sweet baklava with phyllo dough and nut filling at 340°F for about 45 minutes in a static oven, letting the surface become golden and almost toasted.
Let cool and then drizzle with the syrup, leaving the Greek sweet baklava to rest for at least 7/8 hours.
It is clearly a robust dessert with intense flavors, and a little is enough to savor Mediterranean and Oriental tastes and aromas.
Enjoy your meal!
Annalisa
