Greek Baklava Walnut Honey Glazed Cake Food

WALNUT-AND-HONEY BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a food processor, pulse walnuts, cinnamon, and 1/2 cup sugar until finely ground.
• In a medium saucepan, heat 1 cup water and remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar over medium-high; bring to a boil. Immediately reduce to a simmer; cook until slightly thickened and sugar is dissolved, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in honey. Let syrup cool completely.
• Brush a 12-by-2-inch round cake pan with butter. Trim each phyllo sheet into a 13-inch round (cover with plastic and a damp towel as you work). Carefully layer 7 phyllo sheets in pan, brushing butter between each layer. Sprinkle one-third of nut mixture over top. Repeat process twice more, brushing butter between each layer. Top with remaining 7 phyllo sheets, brushing butter between each layer.
• Generously brush top layer with butter. Using a sharp knife with a very thin blade (such as a boning knife), cut baklava into quarters, cutting through all phyllo layers. Halve each quarter to create 8 equal wedges. Working within one wedge at a time, make two straight cuts, 1 inch apart, parallel to one side of wedge. Make two more cuts, parallel to opposite side of same wedge, creating a diamond pattern. Repeat process in remaining 7 wedges.
• Bake until deep golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven; pour syrup over baklava. Let cool completely before serving.

GREEK "BAKLAVA" WALNUT HONEY-GLAZED CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (second-lowest oven rack).
• Butter a 9-inch square glass baking pan.
• In a bowl combine flour with baking powder, salt, cinnamon and orange zest; set aside.
• In a large bowl cream butter together with 1 cup sugar until fluffy (about 3-4 minutes, no sugar granules should remain).
• Add in eggs and vanilla and beat well to combine.
• Add in flour mixture alternately with milk mixing until just combined.
• Stir in walnuts.
• Transfer to prepared baking pan.
• Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until cake tests done.
• Cool for about 20 minutes then slice into diamond shapes.
• Drizzle the honey glaze over the slices.
• For the honey glaze; in a saucepan combine honey, 1 cup sugar and water; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes stirring with a wooden spoon.
• Add in lemon juice and continue to boil for 2 minutes.
• Drizzle over cake.

CLASSIC GREEK BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9 by 13-inch pan.
• Mix the nuts with cinnamon, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup of melted butter. Set aside. Unroll the phyllo pastry. Cut the whole stack in half to fit the pan. Cover the phyllo with a dampened clean kitchen towel to keep the phyllo from drying out as you work. Lay 2 phyllo sheets in the pan and using a brush, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 6 sheets layered. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups nut mixture on top. Layer with 2 phyllo sheets, brush with butter and add nuts to end up with 4 layers of nuts and dough. The top layer should be about 6 to 8 phyllo sheets deep.
• Using a sharp knife, cut diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut 4 long rows then make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes, until the baklava is golden and crisp.
• Make the sauce while the baklava is baking. Boil the water and remaining sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Add the honey and vanilla. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately spoon the sauce over it. Let cool.
• In the meantime, place the grapes on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes, until the grapes start to burst.
• Serve the baklava with Greek yogurt, the baked grapes and a drizzle of honey and crushed walnuts.
• Cook's Notes: Walnuts can be replaced by any kind of nuts or a combination of nuts.
• Phyllo pastry is available in the freezer section of most grocery stores.

GREEK HONEY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch square pan. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and orange rind. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Stir in the walnuts.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then cut into diamond shapes. Pour honey syrup over the cake.
• For the Honey Syrup: In a saucepan, combine honey, 1 cup sugar and water. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.

GREEK BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.
• Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.
• Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
• Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.

KARITHOPASTA - GREEK WALNUT SYRUP CAKE

Steps:

• Grease a 22cm by 35 cm pan with butter or margarine. Do not line with baking paper or use non-stick sprays.
• Beat butter in a medium bowl until softened and add sugar beating until light and fluffy.
• In a separate bowl combine breadcrumbs, spices and baking powder.
• Add eggs one at a time to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition and then the liqueur.
• Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and beat until combined.
• Finally add the walnuts and beat until just combined.
• Tip into baking pan and smooth evenly over bottom.
• Bake on the bottom rack of the oven at 200c for 30-35 minutes depending on how hot your oven is.
• Test cake by inserting skewer and allow to cool until room temperature.
• While cake is cooling add ingredients for syrup into a small saucepan, except for vanilla essence.
• Boil for 5 minutes at medium heat. Then take off heat and add the vanilla essence if desired.
• Pour hot syrup over cooled cake. Start by ladling slowly from one end to another and gently tip remaining syrup over cake trying to be as even as possible.
• Allow cake to soak syrup for a few hours. It is best if it soaks overnight.
• Cut cake into diamonds to serve with a swirl of whipped sweetened cream (I add a bit of vanilla essence or liqueur to the cream) and flaked chocolate.
• Note: It is beat to start with all ingredients at room temperature to avoid butter curdling when eggs are added.