Cashew Baklava Food

CASHEW BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. For filling, in a food processor, combine the cashews, walnuts, sugar, cardamom, cinnamon and allspice. Cover and pulse until nuts are finely chopped. Brush a 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan with some of the butter. Unroll phyllo dough; trim to fit into pan., Layer four sheets of phyllo dough in prepared pan, brushing each with butter. (Keep remaining dough covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.) Sprinkle with a third of the nut mixture. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining phyllo dough, brushing each sheet with butter., Using a sharp knife, cut into 24 triangles. Bake until golden brown, 20-25 minutes., Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the syrup ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard lemon slices and cloves. Pour over warm baklava. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and let stand overnight.

CASHEW BAKLAVA

Steps:

• For syrup, put all ingredients in a pot and bring up to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and remove lemon and cloves. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• For baklava, preheat oven to 350° F. Pulse cashews, walnuts, sugar and spices in a food processor until nuts are finely chopped. Brush 4 sheets of phyllo with butter, layering on top of each other (remember to keep phyllo not being used covered under a damp cloth). Cut the phyllo in half and place one half over the other. Place the phyllo in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch greased baking pan, trimming edges as needed. Sprinkle phyllo with a third of the nut mixture. Repeat process twice more with four sheets of pastry and sprinkling with nut mixture. Finish with last four sheets of phyllo. Score the top of the baklava into squares and/or triangles. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until an even golden brown.
• While baklava is still hot, pour syrup over to coat. Refrigerate 4 to 6 hours (or overnight) before cutting.
• Yield: One 9 x 13-inch pan. Makes 24 servings.
• For variety, try these Baby Baklavas. Follow the above directions, substituting the following step for Step #2 above, to yield 16 baklavas: For baklava, preheat oven to 350° F. Pulse cashews, walnuts, sugar and spices in a food processor until nuts are finely chopped. Brush 1 sheet of phyllo with butter. Lay wooden spoon lengthwise across phyllo sheet and roll up (remember to keep phyllo not being used covered under a damp cloth). Scrunch dough towards end of spoon, and then slide off. Join ends of phyllo to create a circle. Place the phyllo in the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Fill phyllo with 1 1/2 tbsp of the nut mixture. Repeat with remaining 15 sheets of phyllo pastry. Sprinkle remaining nut mixture on top of the 16 baklavas. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until an even golden brown.

BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and grease a 21cm x 21cm square cake tin with butter. Chop the nuts into small pieces using a food processor, taking care not to blitz them to a paste. Put them into a bowl, stir in the honey and a pinch of salt and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat. Cut the first pack of filo pastry sheets in half (so that they fit the tin). Put one sheet in the tin and brush with the melted butter. Lay another sheet on top and brush with butter again, keep layering like this until the whole pack is used up.
• Spread the honey and nut mixture over the pastry and press it down lightly with the back of a spoon. Open the other pack of filo, cut in half and continue the layering and buttering process. When you reach the last sheet pour any remaining butter over the top to finish. Use a sharp knife to cut deep lines into the pastry to create either squares or diamond shapes then bake in the oven for 20 mins.
• Reduce the heat to 150C/130C fan/gas 2 and bake for a further 45 mins. While the baklava cooks put all the syrup ingredients into a saucepan and add 200ml water. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved then boil the mixture for 8-10 mins or until it has reduced to the consistency of runny honey.
• When the baklava comes out of the oven, pour the warm syrup over the top, allowing it to run into the lines you have cut. Leave it to soak in and serve when it's completely cold.

CHEF JOHN'S BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Place walnuts, pistachios, and cinnamon in bowl of a food processor. Pulse on and off until mixture is chopped but not too fine.
• Brush bottom of 9-inch round baking pan with melted butter. Place one round of phyllo dough in the pan; add a second round of dough. Drip about 1 tablespoon of melted butter over the top. Add 2 more sheets and drizzle with butter. Add 2 more sheets and drip with butter creating 6 layers for the bottom. (While you work keep the phyllo sheets covered with a damp, nearly dry, cotton towel to keep dough from drying out.)
• Sprinkle with 1/3 of the nut mixture. Top with a sheet of phyllo and drip with melted butter; repeat with 1 more sheet of filo. Add another 1/3 of the nut mixture.
• Place another sheet of phyllo on the nuts; drip with butter. Top with another sheet and drip with butter. Add the remaining nut mixture.
• Top with 2 sheets of phyllo; drip with butter. Add 2 more sheets; drip with butter. Top with the last 2 sheets and drizzle generously with the remaining butter. Cover pan with plastic and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Cut baklava into about 12 diamond-shaped pieces approximately the same size.
• Bake in preheated oven until browned and crisp, about an hour.
• Place sugar, honey, and cloves in a saucepan. Pour in water. Place pan over medium-high heat and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil; remove from heat. Whisk in vanilla and orange blossom water.
• After baklava has rested 5 minutes, ladle syrup over the top. Cool down to room temperature before serving.