Turkish Baklava Recipe

 

Turkish Baklava Recipe

Ingredients

Phyllo pastry (filo dough)

 Butter, melted

 Nuts (pistachios, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, or a mixture), finely chopped

 For the Sugar Syrup:

   2 ½ cups sugar

   2 cups water

   1 lemon wedge or 1 teaspoon lemon juice

 Ground pistachios, for topping

Instructions

1. Prepare the Sugar Syrup

 In a saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and lemon wedge.

 Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Once boiling, reduce the    heat and let it simmer for about 1520 minutes, until it forms a slightly  thickened syrup. Remove from heat and let it cool. You can optionally add rosewater or orange blossom water for flavor.

2. Preheat the Oven

 Preheat your oven to the temperature indicated on your phyllo pastry package (usually around 350°F or 175°C).

3. Prepare the Nut Filling

Choose your preferred nuts (walnuts, pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts, or a mixture) and finely chop or grind them. Mix the chopped nuts in a bowl. This will be your baklava filling.

4. Assemble the Baklava

 Unroll the phyla pastry and cover it with a damp kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out. Brush a baking dish with melted butter to prevent sticking. Place a sheet of phyla pastry in the dish, letting the edges hang over the sides. Brush with melted butter. Repeat this process, layering the sheets and brushing each layer with butter, until you have about 1012 layers.

5. Add the Nut Filling

 Spread a layer of the chopped nuts evenly over the buttered phyllo layers.

Continue layering phyllo sheets and butter, then nuts, until all the nuts are used. Aim for around 34 layers of nuts.

6. Finish Layering

Continue layering the remaining phyllo sheets on top of the nut layer, brushing each sheet with melted butter.

7. Cut and Bake

Using a sharp knife, cut the baklava into diamond or square shapes. Bake in the preheated oven for about 3035 minutes, or until the baklava turns golden brown and crispy.

8. Pour the Sugar Syrup

 Once the baklava is baked, remove it from the oven and let it cool slightly. Carefully pour the cooled sugar syrup over the hot baklava. It will sizzle. Allow the baklava to absorb the syrup and cool completely.

9. Top with Ground Pistachios

Once the baklava has cooled, sprinkle ground pistachios over the top for decoration and added flavor.

10. Serve

Gently separate the cut pieces of baklava and serve on a platter.Enjoy your homemade Turkish Baklava! Remember, you can experiment with different nuts and flavors in both the filling and the syrup to make it your own unique treat.