I was away for the funeral service for my father this weekend and a family member, an 86 year old Greek Sweet heart (my sister's mother in law) made her famous Baklava. Of course I had to get the recipe. She was so nice and honored that I would ask her for it. We must have talked for what seemed like hours together. She had come from Greece in 1948 to The US. Her husband died a few years later leaving her with 2 sons to raise. I told her she should have sold her Baklava. She would have made a fortune.
She told me that in Greece, Pistachios and or almonds were used and for the syrup just pure honey. I wrote out the recipe right away that night at the hotel and had a chance to see her again on Sunday before we left to come home. I wanted to make sure I had it right.
Baklava
Ingredients;
Filling
4 cups walnuts, finely chopped. (1 lb of ground).
3 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 lb Phylo Dough
2 cups of sweet butter, melted
Syrup:
2 cups water
2 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
lemon or orange rind
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
Directions
Combine walnuts, sugar and spice.
In a baking pan, layer 7 Phylo sheets, buttering between each layer as it is stacked. Put a layer of the nut mixture. Repeat 4 times. Top with remaining Phylo sheets, buttering each sheet. You should make sure to have the same amount of Phylo sheets for the top as you did for the bottom. (Count how many sheets of Phylo dough there are and divide them for top, bottom and filling layers to see how many sheets you want to use between each filling layer) While layering, keep unused sheets of the dough covered with a damp towel.
Using a sharp knife, trim the edges. Perforate Baklava into square shapes with a fork. Try not to stick fork through the bottom layers.
Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool.
Pour hot syrup over Baklava (Not boiling hot).
Combine all ingredients for syrup in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes. Pour syrup, that has been cooled for about 5 minutes, over the cooled Baklava.
After pouring syrup over the Baklava, wrap well with plastic wrap and allow to set for at least 2 days.
I forgot to add; When getting the Phylo dough, make sure to get the large size. You want the dough to be big enough to cover and go up and over the sides of a large baking pan.
She told me that in Greece, Pistachios and or almonds were used and for the syrup just pure honey. I wrote out the recipe right away that night at the hotel and had a chance to see her again on Sunday before we left to come home. I wanted to make sure I had it right.
Baklava
Ingredients;
Filling
4 cups walnuts, finely chopped. (1 lb of ground).
3 tablespoons granulated white sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 lb Phylo Dough
2 cups of sweet butter, melted
Syrup:
2 cups water
2 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
lemon or orange rind
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
Directions
Combine walnuts, sugar and spice.
In a baking pan, layer 7 Phylo sheets, buttering between each layer as it is stacked. Put a layer of the nut mixture. Repeat 4 times. Top with remaining Phylo sheets, buttering each sheet. You should make sure to have the same amount of Phylo sheets for the top as you did for the bottom. (Count how many sheets of Phylo dough there are and divide them for top, bottom and filling layers to see how many sheets you want to use between each filling layer) While layering, keep unused sheets of the dough covered with a damp towel.
Using a sharp knife, trim the edges. Perforate Baklava into square shapes with a fork. Try not to stick fork through the bottom layers.
Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool.
Pour hot syrup over Baklava (Not boiling hot).
Combine all ingredients for syrup in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes. Pour syrup, that has been cooled for about 5 minutes, over the cooled Baklava.
After pouring syrup over the Baklava, wrap well with plastic wrap and allow to set for at least 2 days.
I forgot to add; When getting the Phylo dough, make sure to get the large size. You want the dough to be big enough to cover and go up and over the sides of a large baking pan.
