Greek baklava

NOTES

While you melt the butter, you must have in mind to remove any froth you might see on the surface. Additionally, you must be careful while diving the brush in the butter not to take any milk residues from the bottom of the pan. Ideally, you must place melted butter in a bowl, letting the milk residues in the saucepan.
You don’t want the nuts in the baklava to be too big but be sure not to grind the nuts too finely that you end up with powder for filling. You want to still be able to taste the nuts and enjoy their texture. Besides, with finely grinded nuts, you risk of losing the crispiness of the dough.
You must sprinkle every phyllo pastry with nuts, but don’t exaggerate with quantity because you might lose the crispiness, as well, of the dough.
Follow exactly the proportions for the spices. Any exaggeration might end up with a bitterness in the mouth.
The secret for a well baked baklava till the last phyllo dough is baking in low temperature for enough time.
Cut the assembled baklava into pieces before baking. Use a sharp knife to cut the pastry into pieces. This is the most difficult step of the recipe, in my opinion.
Prepare your honey syrup ahead. It’s important that the honey syrup is cool when it hits the freshly-baked hot baklava.

	1 package of phyllo dough
	450 gr. walnuts chopped
	400 gr. butter
	1/3 tsp grounded clove
	1 tbsp cinnamon powder
	some whole cloves for garnish (optional)
	For the syrup
	550 gr water
	400 gr sugar
	150 gr honey
	1 cinnamon stick
	4-5 cloves
	orange peel

1.	For the honey syrup
2.	In a medium saucepan, place all the ingredients for the syrup, except honey.
3.	Bring to boil for about 5-7 minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Take it off the heat and stir in the honey. Let the syrup cool down.
4.	Melt the butter in a saucepan over low to medium heat. Take away any froth you may see on the surface.
5.	In the bowl of a food processor add walnuts in portions. Pulse a few times to chop. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add cinnamon and ground cloves. Mix well to combine.
6.	Assembling baklava
7.	Carefully unroll the phyllo pastry and place the sheets in between two clean kitchen towels.
8.	Prepare a 25 cm x 35 cm baking pan. Use a cooking brush to butter the bottom and sides of the pan with melted butter.
9.	Begin by layering the sheets of phyllo on the bottom of the baking dish to form the base. Layer the sheets one at a time, making sure to brush the top of each layer with the melted butter. Use about 4 sheets for the base.
10.	Sprinkle the nut mixture over the phyllo base.
11.	Continue assembling the baklava by placing each sheet every time, sprinkling with melted butter first and then with nut mixture.
12.	Keep the three last sheets of pastry to form the top of the dessert.
13.	Brush each layer with melted butter and finish by pouring all the butter on the top.
14.	Preheat oven to 150o Celsius.
15.	Place the baklava in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to make it easier to cut into pieces.
16.	Remove from the fridge and using a sharp knife cut all the way down into pieces. Place one whole clove into the middle of each baklava piece.
17.	Bake for about 1 hour to 150o and continue baking for 1 1/2 hour further to 160o, until all the phyllo layers are crisp and golden.
18.	As soon as the baklava is ready, ladle slowly the cold syrup over the hot baklava, until it is fully absorbed.
19.	Let the baklava cool completely for several hours, and serve after the syrup has been soaked.
20.	If you like, garnish with a little sprinkle of walnut before serving.

TRADITIONAL

Prep. time

Cook time

Difficulty

Serves

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

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