Here’s a classic, flaky baklava recipe—sweet, nutty, and dripping with syrup 🌰🍯
Baklava
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 cups walnuts, pistachios, or almonds, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves (optional)
- 2–3 tbsp sugar
Pastry
- 1 package phyllo dough (about 16 oz), thawed
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
Syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup honey
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Optional: a pinch of ground cinnamon or orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
- Prepare filling
- Mix chopped nuts, sugar, cinnamon, and optional cloves in a bowl.
- Layer phyllo
- Unroll phyllo, cover with a damp towel to prevent drying.
- Brush the baking dish with melted butter.
- Layer 8–10 sheets of phyllo, brushing each sheet lightly with butter.
- Add nut mixture
- Spread a thin layer of nut filling evenly over phyllo.
- Add 4–5 more phyllo sheets with butter between each layer.
- Repeat layering until all nuts are used.
- Finish with 6–8 phyllo sheets on top, brushing each with butter.
- Cut before baking
- Using a sharp knife, cut baklava into diamonds or squares.
- Bake
- Bake 45–50 minutes, until top is golden brown and crisp.
- Make syrup
- While baking, combine sugar, water, honey, and lemon juice in a saucepan.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and optional zest.
- Pour syrup
- Remove baklava from oven and immediately pour syrup evenly over hot pastry.
- Let cool completely to absorb syrup (2–4 hours or overnight).
Tips & Variations
- Nuts: Use a single type (walnuts, pistachios, or almonds) or mix them for layered flavor.
- Crispy top: Brush phyllo generously with butter.
- Make ahead: Baklava tastes even better the next day as the syrup soaks in.
- Spice variations: Add cardamom or nutmeg for depth.
If you want, I can give a quick “less fiddly” baklava rolls version that’s easier than layering dozens of phyllo sheets but still crispy and sweet. Do you want that?
