Blame It On The Baklava

Gone two weeks in Greece and I gained 5 pounds, even though I ate fish for dinner 99 percent of the time. Blame it on the baklava, one of my favorite desserts. More than 40 years have passed since I first tasted baklava at a fund-raiser for my children's nursery school. I've been making it since then (but not too often since it's highly caloric) using a recipe given to me by the woman who made it for the school. For years now, I've been thinking about posting that recipe, but never got around to it. However, since returning from Greece last week, and having just made it to serve to my Italian chit-chat group yesterday, the time was right to post here.

First let me say I ate my fair share of baklava while in Greece, (as the scale revealed) some quite good and one just so-so. Let me also state that the baklava I make (recipe below) is every bit as good as any that I ate in Greece, and dare I say, even better? Yes, I know, you may think I'm exaggerating, but truly, I've served it to Greek friends and to someone who has traveled to Greece a number of times, and they agree with me. I know it seems strange, since the recipe is from the now-extinct McCall's magazine, but I think I know why this recipe is so darn good: 1. The syrup is infused with oranges and lemons, while most recipes use only lemons, and 2. It uses both walnuts and almonds, while most recipes call for only one type of nut. That combo makes this recipe irresistibly delicious.

Meanwhile, while in Greece, my first baklava was from a bakery on the island of Naxos. I couldn't wait to dig in and started eating it in the car. It was really good, and especially crispy on top. I should have waited to eat it with a fork rather than gobble it down using my fingers.

The second one had pistachios, which I do love, but it turns out, not so much in baklava. If Paul Hollywood (of "The Great British Bakeoff" fame) were judging, he'd say "It's a bit stodgy." The addition of ice cream was a nice touch though.

This one from a bakery in Athens was good but lacked much flavor.

And this one eaten at a restaurant in Athens was probably the best I ate while in Greece. Again, extra points for ice cream on the side.

But my homemade baklava still beats out any of the above. It's not even hard to make, provided you buy store-bought phyllo pastry (who makes phyllo from scratch anyway?)

The most important thing is to keep the unused phyllo sheets covered while working with the recipe, buttering every other sheet (I told you it had lots of calories).

Sprinkle the nut mixture in several layers.

When you've used up all the phyllo, slice through the top layer only, making diamond shapes, and if desired, poke a whole clove into each section. Bake.

Drizzle the honey/syrup mixture over the top while it's still hot, then let it cool before serving. As you can see, it makes a lot. I hope you have a crowd coming, but if not, it freezes pretty well too, although it won't be as crispy as when you first make it.

And if baklava isn't enough to entice you to visit Greece, here are a few photos that might put a bug in your ear:

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From McCalls's Magazine 

BAKLAVA

FOR THE SYRUP:
3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups honey
1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick
4 lemon slices
4 orange slices
FOR THE BAKLAVA:
1 pkg (1 lb size) prepared phyllo-pastry leaves, 15 by 12 inches, about 32 leaves*
2 cups finely chopped or ground walnuts
1 cup finely chopped or ground blanched almonds
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups sweet butter, melted

TO MAKE THE SYRUP:
In medium saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar and 3/4 cup water. Bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar; add honey, cinnamon stick and lemon and orange slices. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Strain; cool. Should measure 2 1/2 cups.

TO MAKE THE BAKLAVA:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove pastry leaves from package. In small bowl, mix walnuts, almonds, sugar, ground cinnamon and nutmeg. Place 2 pastry leaves in a 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1-inch jelly-roll pan; brush top leaf with some of melted butter. Continue stacking leaves, 14 in all, and buttering every other leaf. (Keep rest covered with damp towels to prevent drying.)

Sprinkle with third of nut mixture. Add 6 more leaves, brushing every other one with butter. Sprinkle with third of nut mixture.

Layer 6 more leaves, brushing every other one with butter. Sprinkle with the last third of nut mixture.

Stack remaining pastry leaves on top, brushing every other one with remaining melted butter and buttering top pastry leaf. Trim edges, if necessary.

With sharp knife, cut through top layer on long side; make 8 diagonal cuts at 1 1/2-inch intervals. Then, starting at one corner, make 9 cuts, on diagonal at 1 1/2-inch intervals, to form diamonds. (Cut through top layer only; do not cut through layers.)

Bake 60 minutes, or until golden and puffy. Turn off heat. Leave in oven 60 minutes; remove.

Pour cooled syrup over hot baklava. Following diamond pattern, cut all the way through baklava. Cool in pan - to absorb syrup - on wire rack.

*If phyllo is frozen, thaw in refrigerator.

Makes 35 pieces
From: Recipelink.com
Source: Magazine: McCall's Cooking School, Number 8, 1980, 1981