Baklava Rolls With Almonds And Walnuts Authentic Greek Food

ROLLED BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Place rack in center of oven, and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Brush a 9-by-9-inch pan with melted butter. Set aside.
• Combine almonds, walnuts, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Place one sheet of phyllo on a flat work surface. Brush with melted butter. Fold the long sides in to form a 9 1/2-by-15-inch rectangle. Brush folded edges with butter. Place a second piece of phyllo over first sheet, and gather it like a curtain to fit inside rectangle. Brush with butter.
• Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of the nut mixture over the bottom one-third of the phyllo rectangle. Fold phyllo over to cover nuts. Brush folded phyllo with butter. Spread 1/4 cup nuts in a 1-inch-wide line parallel to, and about 1 inch from, the edge of pastry. Fold over once to cover nuts. Roll like a cigar almost to the end. Fold in ragged edges, and brush them with butter. Finish rolling, and fold ends under. Place seam-side down in prepared pan. Brush with butter. Repeat with remaining phyllo and filling, laying each roll next to the other so they are touching. Cut rolls crosswise into 21 pieces total (drag knife through a second time to assure a clean cut).
• Transfer to oven, and bake until crust and nuts are evenly golden, 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove pan from oven, and cool for 10 minutes. Pour cool Honey Syrup over pastry; it will come about three-quarters of the way up the sides. Let sit until most of the liquid is absorbed and nuts are saturated, about 30 minutes.

PERSIAN SPICED BAKLAVA ROLLS WITH ORANGE BLOSSOM SYRUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 or a little lower if your oven runs hot.
• Combine all the filling ingredients, mix well.
• Butter a 12-by-9-inch or 13-by-9-inch baking pan or 15-by-10-inch jelly roll pan.
• Remove the phyllo from the package and lay it flat on your counter. Cover the phyllo with wax paper or plastic wrap and place a slightly damp cloth over top.
• Remove one sheet of phyllo and place flat on clean, dry counter top, butter as evenly as possible repeat with 3 more sheets of phyllo so there are 4 sheets buttered on top of one another as evenly as possible.
• Place a few large spoonfuls of the mixture along the bottom of the top sheet of phyllo and fold the phyllo on the same end over the mixture. Then butter the edge of the sheet and continue to roll the phyllo as tightly and evenly as possible. Once you get to the end of the sheet, you need to butter the edge as well before closing it. It should now basically be a long thick cigar shape.
• Cut off the uneven ends slightly angled like a slash (but don't throw them away, just throw it into your remaining mixture).
• Cut the roll into 2 inch pieces (slightly angled like a slash). Butter the ends of each before placing on the buttered baking sheet.
• Repeat this same procedure until you have finished using all of the phyllo and mixture.
• Once you have finished rolling the phyllo and placing the rolls, buttered on each end, on your pan, butter the top of each roll. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes (this really depends on your oven; keep in mind that the baklava has to bake slowly at a low heat until GOLDEN BROWN).
• Prepare the syrup noting that either the syrup should be hot and the baklava cool or visa versa when pouring it over top. (I leave the baklava to cool overnight on the counter and make the hot syrup to pour over the cooled baklava in the morning.).
• Mix sugar and water and bring to the boil.
• Add lemon juice and boil for 7 more minutes.
• Remove from heat and add orange blossom water, stir.
• Pour over cooled baklava.
• Allow the baklava to sit for about 20 minutes. Then turn over the individual rolls to allow both sides to soak in the liquid.
• Leave the whole day or over night before serving.
• Enjoy!