Skip to main content

Baklava



B aklava is a Middle-Eastern sweet pastry which is made only with thin dough pastry and loaded with nuts and then soaked with honey or syrup.  It is widely believed that  Baklava  is of Assyrian origin, dated back to around the 8th Century B.C.  They, the Assyrians baked this sumptuous treat only on special occasions and at that time only the rich could afford this luxury. But not anymore.  Nowadays, this sweet dessert is readily available and is found in the Middle-Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines, Greece, Iran, Turkey and Lebanon.  However, each culture has its own distinct way of preparing this decadent dessert.








This dessert is made with Phyllo/Fillo pastry dough which is derived from the Greek word 'leaf' being 'as thin as a leaf' and it is this paper thin, delicate dough that gives Baklava a delicious crispy taste.  This pastry is not as fattening as perceived as I used canola oil instead of butter and had cut down on the sugar in the syrup.  In fact it's nutritious considering the wholesome goodness of the nuts, i.e. almonds and walnuts.

Recipe for Baklava

Ingredients
  • Pampas Fillo pastry
  • 100gm nibbed almonds
  • 50 gm walnuts, chopped
  • 3 Tbsp sugar
  • 1/4  tsp cinnamon powder
  • Melted butter/Canola oil  ( I used Canola oil)
  • Sesame seeds, lightly toasted  (optional)
Syrup
  • 1/4  cup sugar, 1/4  cup water, 2  Tbsp lemon juice, some fresh lemon peel
Method
  1. Prepare the syrup by mixing the sugar with water and lemon peel and cook under low flame.  After the sugar has dissolved, discard the lemon peel.  Stir in the lemon juice.  Set aside to cool.
  2. Mix the nuts with sugar and cinnamon, set aside.
  3. Brush a 8.1/2 x 4.1/2 x 3" dish with oil.  Score the fillo pastry to the size of the dish, allowing 1/4 inch at both sides.
  4. Place a sheet of  fillo pastry at the bottom of the oiled dish,  brush with a thin layer of oil, top with another layer of pastry, brush with oil.  Continue this process till there are 6 sheets of pastry.
  5. Sprinkle on a layer of nuts.  Dot some oil on the layer of nuts so that the next sheet of pastry will stick on it.
  6. Place another sheet of pastry on top of the nuts, brush with oil.  Repeat this process, meaning 2 sheets of pastry brushed with oil.  (You can choose to use 3 layers, if desired).
  7. Repeat step (5)  and (6) till the nut mixture is all used up.
  8. The top layer should be 6 layers thick as the bottom, each sheet of pastry being brushed with oil.
  9. Brush lightly with oil on the surface of the pastry.
  10. Using a serrated knife, cut lengthwise right through the bottom and then into squares.
  11. Place on the rack below the middle shelf and bake in a preheated oven @ 180 deg C for 25 mins.
  12. Remove the baklava from the oven, spoon the syrup over the hot baklava.  Sprinkle on some sesame seeds.  Let cool for at least 4 hours.
  13. Serve.
Note :  To prevent the fillo pastry from drying up and  becoming brittle, cover the pastries with a dampcloth while waiting to be used.  Keep any balance in the freezer.



Comments

  1. Cheah, I love this Baklava, so nutty and crispy but how long can I keep (in a fridge)?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I like baklava but not too often because I find it sickly sweet, so when I saw that you reduced tha mount of sugar and used oils instead of butter in your recipe I really liked it!

    Wholesome Cook recently posted: {Day 9} Rainbow Doodle Jelly!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I make baklava but mine is much lower tahn your tower;)) It is relatively easy and the msot important thing is to cut it in pieces befor eyou bake it as afterwards it will be all over the place.And amount of syrup you are pouring on it also very important it is just right as you dont want too litle they will be dry..not too mcuh they will drown:)
    Your look just right:))

    ReplyDelete
  4. I have always been fascinated with the way baklava is assembled, seen a couple of videos on them in fact. you did yours so neatly...it must be a feat taking a piece out without breaking it! looks scrumptious!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Ann
    I googled before I made this and it seems you just keep it in a container, no mention of keeping in the fridge. Mine didn't last long as I made only a mini portion.

    Sonia
    It's my first time too!

    Martyna
    Yes, this version is more healthy.

    Dzoli
    Thanks for the tips. Mine wasn't too sweet and the syrup was just enough to be evenly distributed.

    Jeannie
    Yes, have to be very careful when assembling it as it's so thin and turns brittle very fast.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love baklava too! Making your own with your own favourite ingredients and style is such a great idea. Your baklava is fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  7. This looks delicious! I had no idea that making baklava could be so simple. I haven't eaten it in years. I would love to try this someday. Thanks for the idea!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Looks good Cheah! I like to use walnuts or pistachios too. And FYI, it can keep for very long, up to two weeks in the fridge (because of all the sugar syrup). But the texture will get a little bit hard. You can always reheat it. Yum. Now I'm craving some :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. cheah, looks so nutty. Will the filo pastry turns soft after several hours? i have eaten these filo before but cannot remember the texture..

    ReplyDelete
  10. Zoe
    Yes, you can use the type of nuts that you like and also reduce the amount of sugar.

    Mary
    You are most welcome.

    Shaz
    Thanks so much for the info. Yes, the sugar syrup acts as a preservative too.

    Lena
    No, it won't turn soft, it'll be a bit 'ngan'. Like Shaz said, can keep long if refrigerated. Fillo pastry can be used to make strudel too. It's paper thin, so must be careful not to tear it when assembling the pastry.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yum... nutty and delicious!
    Great attempt on drop caps... looks lovely, my friend! :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Jacqueline
    Thank you so much for your encouragement!

    ReplyDelete
  13. As I do not have a sweet tooth, this is one thing that I have never dared to try although I come across it so many times!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I've only tried baklava once made by someone I know, but I didn't like it then because it was incredibly sweet. Thanks for sharing this recipe - now I can make it myself and make sure that it's not too sweet...:)!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I wasn't so sure of making this at the beginning but you've just tempting to do so. Thanks!
    Kristy

    ReplyDelete
  16. Kristy
    It's quite easy to make actually. Just give it a try.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for dropping by. Please click on 'Anonymous' if you do not have a blog but do leave your name after the comment because I would like to know who you are.

Popular posts from this blog

Herbal Jelly ~ Gui Ling Gao

H erbal Jelly ~ Gui Ling Ga o literally translated means 'Tortoise Jelly' is one of my family's favourite desserts.  It's much more economical to prepare this at home for you'll need to fork out between Rm 9 to Rm 11 for a bowl of this cooling dessert in any of those herbal tea outlets.  This soothing jelly, served chilled, is supposed to be able to help reduce our body heat, helps to get rid of toxins and is believed to be good for the skin thus culminating a healthier complexion.

Braised Pork Belly with Mui Choy ~ 梅菜焖五花肉

Mui Choy is preserved mustard greens and there are two types, one is salty while the other is sweet.  There are many ways of cooking mui choy with pork belly.  Instead of braising, you can steam it with minced pork but here I am using only the sweet mui choy and I braised the pork belly with it.  This is a flavourful dish and you can serve it with plain rice or plain porridge. Braised Pork Belly with Mui Choy   ~    梅菜焖五花肉 Ingredients  400 gm pork belly cut into bite size 100 gm  preserved sweet mui choy 3 cloves of garlic 2 slices ginger Seasoning for the pork belly 1 Tbsp dark soya sauce 1/4 Tbsp sugar 1/4 Tbsp sesame oil 1/4 Tbsp oyster sauce 1/2 tsp pepper 1/8 tsp light soya sauce Method Season the pork belly for about an hour or more.  Set aside. Soak the mui choy for 45 mins., rinse and squeeze dry.  Cut into slices Heat some oil in the wok, fry the mui choy.  Add in the ginger slices.  Stir-fry. Add in the pork  belly, fry for a while and

Steamed minced Pork with Mui Choy ~ 梅菜蒸猪肉

This is a homey, comforting dish which you can never find on the menu of a Chinese restaurant.  Perhaps you may find it in an economy rice stall.  There are two types of Mui Choy (梅菜) or preserved mustard, one is salty while the other is sweet and in this recipe, I used the latter.  The Mui Choy lends flavour and aroma to the dish and most often is paired with pork, either minced or pork belly chunks.  In this recipe, the minced meat must be with a bit of fat, otherwise the dish will turn out dry and dense.  Give this a try and see whether you like it or not. Steamed Minced Pork with Mui Choy ~  梅菜蒸猪肉  Ingredients  320 gm minced pork with a bit of fat 70 gm sweet mui choy (preserved sweet mustard green) Seasoning for minced pork 1 tsp sesame oil 1 tsp Shaoxing wine 1/2 tsp light soy sauce 1/2 tsp sugar 1 Tbsp oil 2 Tbsp cornflour 3 Tbsp water Method Marinate the minced pork with the above seasoning and stir the pork in one direction, till sticky.  Set