My Favorite Greek Baklava Recipe

adoreqvc · ‎03-09-2010

Re-posting this again here since it was requested...

My Favorite Greek Baklava Recipe:

Ingredients:
1 lb of phyllo dough
1 cup of butter, melted (if pressed for time can microwave the butter, but watch it)
1/3 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon of ground clove

Syrup:
1 cup of water
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick
Optional: If you have Rose Water handy (comes in a bottle) add a few drops.

Walnuts:

Use about 8 ounces of walnuts

Oven Directions:
Set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and use an inside oven thermometer to gauge the correct oven temperature, because many times ovens are not calibrated so the temp you set is not the temperature inside of the oven. (That is where an oven thermometer you hang on the oven rack, comes in very handy).

Thawing The Phyllo Dough:
Thaw the phyllo dough overnight in the refrigerator.

Processing The Cleaned Walnuts For The Baklava Greek Walnut Filling:
Finely process the walnuts until very coarse but not into a powder. You must see very tiny bits of walnuts in the mixture and you can use your food processor very carefully and slowly pule in very short bursts to achieve this, or if no food processor then place cleaned shell walnuts into a zip lock baggie and pound t o crush the walnuts with a rolling pin, or hand held meat pounder. Add the sugar and cinnamon into the walnut mixture and combine well.

About Using Phyllo Dough Sheets:
When using phyllo dough it dries out quickly, so place a clean positioned moist tea towel or moist slightly wet but wrung out pretty well Bounty towel over the phyllo dough sheets so it remains moist and does not dry out before you finish layering the Baklava phyllo sheets.

Pre-Cutting Phyllo Dough Sheets:
My Recommendation is if need be pre-cut your phyllo dough sheets to fit your baking pan, or use a smaller pan and adjust recipe accordingly, to suit your personal needs.

If you need to pre cut your phyllo sheets to fit your baking pan exactly turn your baking pan over and measure the length and width of the inside. (If the phyllo sheets tear it is not a catastrophe, just cut a small piece of another sheet to mend and cover gently with melted butter).

Layering The Baklava In Your 9X13 Baking Pan:
Lightly use a pastry brush and spread melted butter on the bottom and sides of a 9x13 pan.
Carefully place your first phyllo sheet into your buttered 9X13 baking pan, pressing it into the pan gently so it adheres to the already brushed melted butter on sides and bottom of your pan.
Using your pastry brush carefully spread some melted butter by dotting here and there. (Do not add too much butter, do not butter the entire phyllo sheet.)
Use one hand to hold the phyllo down gently, and the other hand to carefully butter the phyllo sheet.
Continue layering the pan with two more sheets of phyllo dough, dotting each sheet with the melted butter. This will be done as you go along adding the walnut filling, in between the 2 buttered phyllo sheets).
Continue to repeat until the walnut mixture is used.

How To Properly Score The Greek Baklava Before Baking Using 2 Scoring Methods:

For Diamond Pattern Scoring:
Using your very sharp knife, make one slice almost to the bottom of the pan but not cutting into the last few layers of the phyllo dough. Cut from corner to corner. Continue cutting, criss-crossing until you have a bunch of diagonal pieces.

For Square Pattern Scoring:
You can also cut regular squares according to the serving sizes you prefer to serve.

Fancy Square Pattern Cut and Scored Diagonally In Half:
If you wish to get a little fancy cut each square diagonally in half. (That also makes for a very attractive serving and presentation).

Place 1 piece of clove directly in the middle of each scored Baklava piece.

Baking The Greek Baklava:
Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes, or until lightly golden brown and edges appear slightly crisp. DO NOT OVER BAKE AND WATCH CAREFULLY!

Place Baked Greek Baklava On Stove Top , Score Completely Through, & Add The Hot Syrup:

Cut completely through the Greek Baklava following the pattern you used before you placed it in the hot oven to bake. (Doing this now ensures it will not break apart when taking it out to serve).

Reheat the syrup if need be so it is hot. Now drench the Greek Baklava with the syrup until it is well soaked.

Leave on stove top uncovered for about four hours so it sets.

Serving The Baklava:
Serve at Room Temperature covered well for maximum of 5 days.

Freezing Greek Baklava:
You can freeze it in serving pieces in heavy duty aluminum foil sealed well, and then placed inside of a freezer bag with air removed with your hand before sealing. (We never freeze any foods baked with Phyllo Dough because we do not like the texture, or taste of baked frozen Greek Baklava, and we especially dislike any type of baked frozen phyllo dough food, but if it merits freezing do so at your own discretion.)

Freeze Any Leftover Phyllo Dough:
Leftover Phyllo can be rolled again in their packaging and then placed in aluminum foil and sealed well to prevent air entering. Then place in the original box type container, and freeze again for another use.

sfnative · ‎03-10-2010

I looked for but could not find the amount of walnuts to use, adoreqvc. Could you please get back to me with that measurement, as I've always wanted to make my own baklava and would certainly make a go of this recipe. Thanks.

adoreqvc · ‎03-09-2010

Hi Sfnative,

About 8 ounces of walnuts.

I forgot to add that in, but just edited and added them.

If you need any help with the recipe, just give me a shout out on recipes...........enjoy.

sfnative · ‎03-10-2010

Hi adoreqvc,

Thanks for the 8 oz walnut quantity! Will let you know how I did. I LOVE baklava. My Dad used to take us to an Armenian restaurant all the time and I always wanted 2 baklava for dessert. LOL!

adoreqvc · ‎03-09-2010

You are most welcome my friend. If you need help shout out anytime.

Now here is another decadent delicous Greek dessert you will also love, and it is very easy to make.

The best part is no phyllo sheets for the Greek Custard Pie, which is like the Greek Galatobureko (the Greek custard dessert with the phyllo sheet layers on the bottom, and on the top).

sfnative look at the web site for the food photo as it makes you salavate, and is really delicious.

Whenever I serve it everyone raves about it, and it is even rich enough, decadent, and elegant for company, and just about anytime.

This has the same delicious creamy custard as the Greek Galatobureko but without the phyllo sheets on bottom and top.

Its also served at Greek Restaurants, Greek Festivals, Homes everywhere, and Greek Bake-offs.

It is also a favorite to order or prepare throughout Greece. It is called a creamy custard milk pie.

It is just as popular as the Greek Baklava, and Galatobureko recipes.

http://greekfood.about.com/od/cakes/r/Custard-Pie-Galatopita.htm

• Greek Custard Pie without Phyllo Sheets so everything is very Easy Peasy.

Creamy semolina custard is baked until golden then bathed in sweet syrup. An easy custard pie that doesn’t require a pie crust, pie shell, or phyllo sheets.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 60 minutes
• Yield: About 24 pieces

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter, 4 oz.
4 cups milk
1/2 cup semolina (you can substitute Cream of Wheat Farina)
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the syrup:
1-cup water
1/2 cup sugar

Optional Topping:
For the topping over the sugar syrup:
can sprinkle some powdered sugar on top and then serve but it has to be room temp, or cold from the refrigerator.

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease a 9 X 12 inch baking dish. (I use a glass baker.)

In a large saucepan heat the milk with the butter until just boiling. Add the sugar and the semolina and continue cooking until the mixture thickens a bit, about 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat and allow it to cool slightly. Stir in the beaten eggs and the vanilla extract.

Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish and bake in a preheated 400-degree oven.

Set a timer for 30 minutes.

While the custard is baking prepare the syrup.

Syrup Preparation:
Boil the water and stir in the sugar.
Simmer uncovered for approximately 10 minutes.
Pour the syrup over the custard and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Cool the custard slightly before serving, or bring to room temp, or refrigerate.

If room temp or from refrigerator can sprinkle some powdered sugar on top and serve.

If you make this and the Baklava recipes please let me know if you liked them both.

I would really appreciate the feedback, and enjoy them both!

bonnielu · ‎03-11-2010

Sounds like a great recipe. Love Baklava. But what is phyllo dough and where would I get it. Not living in a big city. Never seen it anywhere. Not sure what it even is. Is there a substitute.