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Baklava (Layered Pastry With Walnuts & Honey Syrup)

Category: Greek

Author: The Savvybearcat

Date: 1/1/2007

Rating:

(2.0) by 2 users

Ingredients:

PASTRY:
3/4 lb Butter, three 1/4 lb. sticks
;cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup Vegetable oil
40 Filo sheets, each about 16
;inches long by 12 inches
;wide
4 cup Walnuts, shelled, pulverized
;in a blender, nut grinder
;or mortar/pestle
SYRUP:
1 1/2 cup Sugar
3/4 cup Water
1 tbsp Lemon juice, fresh
1 tbsp Honey

Instructions:

Clarify the butter in a heavy saucepan or skillet in the following
fashion: Melt the butter slowly over low heat without letting it
brown, skimming off the foam as it rises to the surface. Remove the
pan from the heat, let it rest for 2 or 3 minutes, then spoon off the
clear butter and discard the milky solids at the bottom of the pan.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and stir the vegetable oil into the
clarified butter. Using a pastry brush coat the bottom and sides of a
13 by 19 by 2 inch baking dish with about 1 tablespoon of the
mixture. Fold a sheet of filo in half crosswise, lift it up gently
and unfold it into the prepared dish. Press the pastry flat, fold
down the excess around the sides and flatten it against the bottom.
Brush the entire surface of the pastry lightly with the butter and
oil mixture, and lay another sheet of filo on top, folding it down
and buttering it in a similar fashion. Sprinkle the pastry evenly
with about 3 tablespoons of walnuts. Repeat the same procedure using
two sheets of buttered filo and 3 tablespoons of the pulverized
walnuts each time to make 19 layers in all. Spread the 2 remaining
sheets of filo on top and brush the baklava with all of the remaining
butter and oil mixture. With a small, sharp knife score the top of
the pastry with parallel diagonal lines about inch deep and 2
inches apart, then cross them diagonally to form diamond shapes. Bake
in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to about
300 and bake for 45 minutes longer, or until the top is crisp and
golden brown.

Syrup:
Meanwhile, make the syrup. Combine the sugar, water and lemon
juice in a small saucepan and, stirring constantly, cook over
moderate heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to high
and, timing it from the moment the sugar boils, cook briskly,
uncovered, for about 5 minutes, or until the syrup reaches a
temperature of 220 on a candy thermometer. Remove the pan from the
heat and stir in the honey. Pour the syrup into a bowl or pitcher and
set aside. When the baklava is done, remove it from the oven and pour
the syrup over it. Cool to room temperature, and just before
serving, cut the baklava into diamond shaped serving pieces.

99 of 116

Source: Time Life Series: Middle Eastern Cooking "circa 69"

MMed by: earl.cravens@salata.com