Mini Pistachio Baklavas Food

PISTACHIO BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking pan . In a bowl, combine pistachio nuts and 1/2 cup of the ghee.
• Take 8 sheets of phyllo dough and layer them in the greased pan, brushing each sheet with melted butter as you go.
• Spread about half of the nut mixture over phyllo dough.
• Cover with 6 sheets of dough, brushing each with ghee as you layer.
• Add remaining nut mixture and top with remaining sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each sheet with ghee.
• Using a knife, cut baklava into 1 1/2-inch diamonds.
• Bake for 50 minutes or until golden brown on top.
• While baklava bakes, combine sugar, honey, cinnamon, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, making sure that sugar is completely dissolved.
• Reduce heat and allow the mixture to simmer for 5 minutes. Allow syrup to come down to room temperature before using.
• When baklava is done, take it out of the oven and allow it to cool.
• Once syrup is tepid, drizzle it on top of baklava. Let baklava rest for 6 to 8 hours so it soaks up syrup and flavors develop further.

HOW TO MAKE PISTACHIO BAKLAVA ROLLS

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine the honey, sugar, water, cinnamon and orange peel and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The syrup should thicken slightly. Remove from heat, set aside and let it cool.
• To prepare the filling, place the pistachio nuts and/or walnuts in a food processor and pulse several times until finely chopped but not pasty. Put the nuts in a bowl and combine with the sugar, breadcrumbs, cinnamon and cloves.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Prepare a 13"x 9"x 2" pan by brushing the sides and bottom with melted butter.
• Unroll the 14"x18" package of filo and, with a sharp knife, cut it in half length-wise, leaving you with two stacks of 14"x9" sheets of filo. You will only need one of the stacks, so roll up the other, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap, and return to the refrigerator.
• Place one sheet of filo on a clean surface with the longest side in front of you. Brush with some of the melted butter to coat. Place a second sheet of filo on top of the first and butter it again (keep the rest of the filo covered while you work so it won't dry out).
• Sprinkle some of the nut mixture along the side closest to you. Start rolling the filo as tight as possible without breaking. It should look like a long cylinder. If you get any holes, do not worry about it. With a serrated knife, cut the roll into 2-inch pieces and place on the prepared pan, seam side-down. Repeat with more filo, until all the nuts are used. Brush generously the top of the pistachio rolls with melted butter. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven.
• Pour the cooled syrup slowly and evenly over the top of the baklava. It might look like a lot of syrup initially, but it will all be absorbed as it cools down. Sprinkle with some finely minced pistachio nuts.
• Let the pistachio baklava rolls sit uncovered for at least 4 hours before serving.
• Over a double boiler (or in a microwave), gently melt the dark chocolate. Drizzle lightly over the cooled baklava and let it set for an hour before serving. (This step is optional)

PISTACHIO BAKLAVA

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse the pistachios until coarsely ground (or you can chop them by hand until very finely chopped). Don't overprocess the nuts. You want to maintain some texture.
• Clarify the butter by melting it over low heat, then letting it cook until the foam rises to the top and the milk solids fall to the bottom of the pan. This will take about 5 to 15 minutes depending upon how high your heat is, but don't rush it or the butter could burn.
• Skim foam off the top of the melted butter. Line a fine-mesh sieve with a piece of cheesecloth, place it over a bowl and pour the melted butter through.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees and brush the inside of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with a little of the clarified butter.
• Prepare the phyllo dough by trimming the stack of it with scissors to fit the bottom of your baking dish. Packages of phyllo come in different sizes; some won't need any trimming, some may need an inch or two cut off a side, and some may need to be cut in half crosswise. Cover phyllo layers with a lightly damp kitchen towel, and keep covered.
• Place 1 piece of phyllo on the bottom of the baking pan; brush lightly with clarified butter. Layer phyllo sheets on top, brushing each sheet with butter as you go, until half the phyllo is used.
• Spread pistachios on phyllo in an even layer, then layer with remaining phyllo, brushing each sheet with butter as you go (rewarm butter if necessary).
• Cut the pastry into 36 pieces, using clean up-and-down strokes and rotating the pan if necessary. Make sure to cut all the way through to bottom of pan. Pour any remaining butter evenly over pan.
• Bake baklava until the top is golden brown, and the lower phyllo layers beneath the pistachios are thoroughly baked through. To test this, use a knife to lift up a corner of one of the pastry rectangles from the center of the pan so you can peek at the bottom layers. Start checking after 40 minutes, but it could take an hour or even 1 hour 10 minutes. If the top starts to get too brown before the pastry is cooked through, lay a piece of foil over the top.
• Meanwhile, prepare sugar syrup: In a medium pot, combine sugar with 1 2/3 cups/400 milliliters water. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 10 minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir in lemon juice.
• When the baklava is baked through, reheat the syrup until it comes to a simmer. Remove pan from oven and place in the sink or on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips of syrup. Slowly pour hot sugar syrup over the pastry; it will bubble up and some may overflow. When the syrup stops bubbling, move pan to wire rack to cool completely. Serve at room temperature.

PISTACHIO BAKLAVA TARTLETS

Steps:

• Melt 5 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Place 15 mini phyllo shells on a baking sheet and brush with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees F until just golden, 10 minutes. Meanwhile, add 1/4 cup chopped pistachios, 1/4 cup each honey and sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon allspice and a pinch of salt to the butter in the skillet; cook, stirring until thick, 5 minutes. Divide among the shells and sprinkle with grated chocolate. Let cool.

PISTACHIO BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300.
• Chop pistachios in food processor until finely chopped.
• Add walnuts, 2/3 cup sugar, and cinnamon and process until the texture of coarse meal, pulsing out any lumps. Set aside.
• Lightly fit 1 phyllo sheet in the bottom of a lightly greased 13x9 dish, trimming to fit if needed.
• Brush well with melted butter.
• Continue with 7 more sheets, brushing each sheet well with butter.
• If butter hardens, just microwave briefly to soften.
• Scatter a generous 1/3cup nut mixture over phyllo.
• Add 2 more sheets, brushing each well with butter.
• Add another 1/3 cup nut mixture and continue layering until all nut mixture is used, finishing with a layer of remaining phyllo, brushing each sheet with melted butter.
• Place baklava in freezer for 10 minutes for easier cutting.
• Slice in 2" wide diamond-shaped pattern. (or squares if that is easier).
• At this point it my abe wrapped with heavy duty aluminum foil and frozen if desired.
• Set baking dish on middle oven rack and place a shallow pan of water underneath.
• Bake for 2hrs and 10 minutes or until golden brown.
• Frozen baklava can be baked uncovered the same way for 2 and 1/2 - 3hrs. or until golden brown.
• Combine remaining 2/3 cups sugar, 2 cups water, honey and lemon juice in a large saucepan.
• Bring to boil over high heat, reduce to low and simmer uncovered 20 minutes.
• Pour into spouted measuring cup and cool to room temperature.
• Drizzle syrup evenly over baklava.
• Cool to room temperature, cover loosely with foil and let stand overnight before serving.

PISTACHIO BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, combine honey, sugar, 1/3 cup water, lemon zest, and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove syrup from heat; set aside.
• Butter bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking dish. Cut two 8-by-13-inch sheets of parchment paper; line bottom and sides of dish, overlapping sheets in a crisscross pattern, leaving an overhang.
• Unroll phyllo sheets on a flat surface; lift the top half, and carefully roll into a tight tube. Using a sharp knife, cut crosswise to make 1-inch-wide ribbons. Roll remaining phyllo sheets, and store, tightly wrapped in plastic, in refrigerator up to a week.
• In a large bowl, unroll and loosen phyllo ribbons. Using your hands, gently toss with butter and all but 2 tablespoons pistachios; press firmly into prepared baking dish. Bake until lightly browned, about 45 minutes.
• Remove zest and cinnamon stick from syrup; discard. Reheat syrup over medium heat; pour over the hot pastry. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons pistachios; let cool completely.
• Using paper overhang, lift baklava onto a cutting board. Remove paper. With a sharp knife, gently cut into 8 triangles; transfer to a serving dish. Serve with orange slices, if desired.

LEMON-PISTACHIO BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Combine all syrup ingredients in medium saucepan.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Reduce heat to medium or medium-low; gently boil 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.
• Cool.
• (Syrup will thicken as it cools.) Place half of the pistachios in food processor; process until finely chopped.
• Repeat with remaining pistachios.
• In medium bowl, combine all filling ingredients.
• Heat butter in microwave-safe measuring cup in microwave on high 40 to 60 seconds or until melted; skim and discard foam off top.
• Pour clear butter into small cup; discard remaining milky substance at bottom.
• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Butter 13x9-inch baking pan.
• Unroll phyllo onto cutting board; cut to 13x9 inches.
• Discard excess phyllo, or reserve for another use.
• Cover phyllo with large dry towel.
• Lay 1 phyllo sheet in bottom of pan; brush with butter.
• Repeat, using 12 phyllo sheets.
• Evenly sprinkle filling over phyllo.
• Top with remaining 12 phyllo sheets, brushing each layer with butter.
• Cut baklava crosswise into 1 1/2-inch strips, cutting all the way to bottom.
• Cut diagonally to create diamond shapes, or cut into squares.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until slightly puffed and light golden brown.
• Place on wire rack; immediately pour cooled syrup over baklava.
• Cool completely.
• TIP*Look for shelled pistachios that are not roasted and salted; they will have a brighter green color.