Walnut Baklava Food

WALNUT BAKLAVA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the walnuts, sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Grease a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish with some of the melted butter. Unroll phyllo dough sheets (keep dough covered with plastic wrap while assembling). , Place one sheet of phyllo in baking dish; brush with butter. Top with a second sheet; brush with butter. Fold long ends under to fit the dish. Sprinkle with about 1/4 cup nut mixture. Repeat 18 times, layering two sheets, brushing with butter and sprinkling with nut mixture. Top with remaining dough; brush with butter. Cut into 2-in. diamonds with a sharp knife. , Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the syrup ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Pour over warm baklava. Cool on a wire rack.

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.

SYRIAN WALNUT BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Chop walnuts by hand into small pieces. (A food processor will bruise and pulverize the walnuts, creating a powdery effect.) Transfer to a bowl and mix with confectioners' sugar and orange blossom water.
• Cover phyllo pastry with a clean, lightly damp kitchen towel. Layer a pastry sheet into a 13-by-18-inch pan, securing it in a few places with dabs of clarified butter in the bottom of the pan. Brush sheet lightly with butter before layering on the next sheet. Continue layering butter and sheets; once half the sheets have been used, scatter the walnut mixture evenly over the top, being careful not to rip the pastry or leave any spots uncovered.
• Layer the remaining sheets, brushing each lightly with butter, including the top one. If your sheets are larger than the pan, trim the stack all at once so the edges are flush with the pan. Cut baklava into 3-inch squares, and pour any remaining butter around the edges. Bake for 40 minutes, or until top is a light golden brown.
• Meanwhile, prepare simple syrup: Boil granulated sugar and 3/4 cup/180 milliliters water together in a small pot over medium-high heat, stirring to combine. Remove from heat and add lemon juice. Stir, set aside and let cool to lukewarm.
• If there is excess butter in the baklava pan, carefully tip it over the sink to drain. While baklava is still hot, drizzle over the lukewarm syrup, being sure to get it in the gaps between pieces. Once completely cool, the baklava is best stored covered at room temperature and eaten within a few days.

BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Remove the thawed phyllo from the fridge 1 hour before using. When working with the phyllo dough, only remove the sheets you immediately need, keeping the other sheets covered in plastic wrap, then a damp cloth.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) of the butter in a small saucepan.
• Toss together the chopped pecans and cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside.
• Thoroughly butter a rectangular baking pan with the melted butter. Make sure the sheets of phyllo will generally fit in the pan. (If they're a little bigger, that's okay; if they're much bigger, just trim them with a sharp knife.)
• Butter the top sheet of phyllo with melted butter, then grab it and the unbuttered sheet below it. Flip the sheets over and set them in the pan buttered-side down. Press them lightly into the pan. Repeat this twice more, so that you have 6 sheets of phyllo in the pan, 3 of the sheets buttered.
• Sprinkle on enough pecans to make a single layer. Butter 2 sheets of phyllo and place them on top of the pecans buttered-sides down. Add more pecans, then 2 more buttered phyllo sheets. Repeat this a couple more times, or until you're out of pecans. Top with 4 more buttered phyllo sheets, buttered-sides down. Butter the top of the final sheet.
• Cut a diagonal diamond pattern in the baklava using a very sharp knife. Bake until very golden brown, about 45 minutes.
• While the baklava is baking, combine the honey, sugar, vanilla, 1/2 cup water and the remaining 1 stick butter in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
• When you remove the baklava from the oven, drizzle half of the honey mixture evenly all over the top. Allow it to sit and absorb for a minute, then drizzle on a little more until you think it's thoroughly moistened. You'll likely have some of the honey mixture leftover, which you can drink with a straw. Just kidding.
• Allow the baklava to cool, uncovered, for several hours. Once cool and sticky and divine, carefully remove from the pan and serve with coffee (or give as gifts!).

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.

WALNUT AND PISTACHIO BAKLAVA

Steps:

• For syrup:
• Combine all ingredients and 1 cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium and boil until syrup is reduced to generous 2 cups, about 15 minutes. Transfer to bowl and cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
• For baklava:
• Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Spread walnuts on large rimmed baking sheet. Spread pistachios on another large rimmed baking sheet. Place nuts in oven and toast 5 minutes. Cool nuts. Transfer nuts to processor. Add 3/4 cup sugar, lemon peel, and ground cinnamon. Using on/off turns, blend until nuts are ground to medium-fine texture. Transfer nut mixture to large bowl; mix in dried apples.
• Place phyllo sheet stack on work surface; cover with sheet of plastic wrap, then damp kitchen towel. Brush 13 x 9 x 2-inch metal baking pan with some melted butter. Arrange 1 phyllo sheet in pan with half of phyllo sheet hanging over 1 long side. Brush phyllo in pan with some melted butter. Fold overhang over to make two 12 x 8 1/2-inch layers. Brush with some melted butter. Repeat stacking and buttering with 4 more phyllo sheets, making 10 layers total. Spread 1/3 of nut mixture (generous 2 cups) over phyllo in pan to within 1/2 inch of edge. Repeat layering 2 more times with 5 phyllo sheets and 1/3 of remaining nut mixture each time. Top with 5 more folded phyllo sheets. Using sharp knife, cut through top phyllo layers lengthwise (do not cut through to bottom of pan) to make 4 strips, then cut phyllo crosswise to make 16 rectangles. Bake until phyllo is golden, about 45 minutes.
• Gradually spoon cold syrup over hot baklava. Cool to room temperature. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; let stand at room temperature.
• Cut each baklava rectangle crosswise in half for total of 32 pieces. Transfer baklava to platter and serve.

WALNUT BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Mix together the walnuts, sugar and cinnamon.
• Select a pan the size of the phyllo sheets and brush well with melted butter.
• Use 4 sheets of phyllo for the bottom layer, brushing each one with butter before adding the next, and top with a sheet of unbuttered phyllo.
• Sprinkle with a handful of the walnut mixture.
• Cover with a buttered sheet, an unbuttered sheet, and another sprinkling of walnuts.
• Repeat until the ingredients are used up, reserving 5 sheets of phyllo for the top layer.
• Brush each of the top 5 sheets with ample butter, and pour the remaining butter over the top of the last sheet.
• Trim the edges if necessary, and cut the baklava into the traditional diamond pattern.
• Do not cut through the bottom layer.
• Sprinkle the top of the baklava lightly with water from your fingertips.
• Bake in a preheated 250°F (120°C) oven for about 1 hour.
• Remove from oven and cool.
• For the syrup, combine the sugar and water in a large pot and boil for 5 minutes.
• Add the honey, cinnamon stick and cloves, and boil for 5 minutes more.
• Pour the hot syrup over the cooled baklava.
• Do not pour over a hot baklava, it will turn soggy.
• Cool then cut through the bottom layer of phyllo following the previous cuts.

WALNUT BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and lightly grease a large, shallow baking tray.
• Chop the nuts or grind them in a food processor, as coarse or fine as you like. You could also use a mixture of walnuts, pistachios, almonds or even dried fruit! Combine in a bowl with the sugar and cinnamon.
• Working quickly so the pastry doesn't dry out, unwrap half of the sheets and lay them across the baking tray, folding in any excess. Brush with a light layer of the melted butter/margarine, enough to moisten but not soak.
• Then add the nut mix, followed by the rest of the pastry sheets, and another layer of butter. Fold the whole thing over on itself so it's double in thickness, and brush the surface with more butter.
• Bear in mind you may not need to use all of the nut mix or butter! If you have any spare nuts left over they can always be sprinkled over the top after cooking.
• With a sharp knife, make criss-cross incisions in the baklava so you end up with about diamond shapes, each just under an inch in diameter. This is only a rough approximation mind!
• Note: do NOT cut all the way through the pastry, only about 2/3 of the way. This is so that the syrup (when added) will soak through all the layers and not just make a soggy mass at the bottom.
• Place the tray on the top shelf of the oven and bake for 15-20min, or until the top layer is golden brown. Keep an eye on it!
• Meanwhile, make the syrup. I have only given a rough approximation of quantity but the important thing is the ratio of sugar to water is at least 1.5:1. Put both in a saucepan and heat very slowly. I like about a teaspoon of rosewater but add in tiny quantities to taste.
• Allow the syrup to boil for no more than 2 minutes to avoid the sugar crystallizing when cool. Take off the heat if need be.
• When the baklava is done, remove from the oven and immediately pour over the hot syrup, followed by any other toppings you like. Leave to cool, then cut fully into squares, and store in a pretty tin or airtight container.
• Baklava should keep for a couple of weeks; some people like it straight away but I prefer mine after a day or two, when it's a little... ehr... 'sweaty' :D Enjoy!

CINNAMON-WALNUT BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with butter; set aside. In a medium saucepan, combine 3 cups sugar, lemon juice, and 1 1/2 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until sugar dissolves and mixture is syrupy, about 10 minutes. Set syrup aside.
• In a food processor, pulse walnuts with cinnamon and remaining 1/2 cup sugar until finely ground. Set walnut filling aside.
• Place stack of thawed phyllo sheets on a work surface. Using a sharp knife, trim stack into a 13-by-9-inch rectangle; discard trimmings. Place 1 sheet of trimmed phyllo in prepared baking dish (keep remaining sheets covered with a damp cloth or paper towel). Brush gently with butter; repeat with two more sheets of phyllo, laying each on top of the other. (You now have a 3-sheet stack of buttered phyllo.)
• Sprinkle phyllo stack in dish with 1/3 cup walnut filling. Repeat with 7 more buttered phyllo stacks, sprinkling each with walnut filling. Top with one more stack; brush generously with butter.
• Using a sharp knife, cut unbaked baklava into 24 squares. Bake until puffed and golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; pour syrup over baklava. Let stand at room temperature until syrup is absorbed, at least 3 hours.

ALMOND-WALNUT BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Combine sugar, water, cinnamon, cloves and honey.
• Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
• Increase heat and boil gently until reduced to 2 1/2 cups, about 10 minutes.
• Strain into bowl and mix in brandy.
• Cool completely.
• Nut Filling:
• Toast almonds and walnuts and finely chop in processor.
• Transfer to large bowl.
• Mix in cinnamon and breadcrumbs.
• Pastry:
• Butter bottom and sides of 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish.
• Unroll stacked phyllo sheets, press folds to smooth, and cut crosswise in half.
• Place 1 sheet of phyllo in bottom of prepared dish (k eep remaining sheets covered with plastic wrap and damp towel to prevent drying). Because many brands of phyllo are not long enough to touch both ends of the dish, it may be necessary to stagger sheets to end of dish.
• Brush first sheet with melted butter.
• Top with second phyllo sheet. Brush with melted butter.
• Repeat, using 12 more sheets, buttering each sheet. Sprinkle 3/4 cup nut mixture over.
• Cover with 4 more sheets, buttering each.
• Sprinkle 3/4 cup nut mixture over.
• Cover with 4 more sheets, buttering each.
• Sprinkle 3/4 cup nut mixture over.
• Cover with 4 more sheets, buttering each.
• Sprinkle 3/4 cup nut mixture over.
• Cover with 4 more sheets, buttering each.
• Sprinkle 3/4 cup nut mixture over.
• Top with 18 more sheets, buttering each.
• Brush top sheet generously with butter.
• Cut baklava lengthwise into thirds and make 8 diagonal cuts.
• Top each section with a whole clove. Lightly sprinkle the top with water and bake at 350 degrees in center of oven until pastry is golden brown, about 1 hour.
• Gradually pour syrup over hot baklava and cool completely.