Recipes from Greece: Greek Baclava (Baklava)

Recipes from Greece


Greek Baclava (Baklava)

Country: Greece
Course: Dessert
Makes: 12 to 16 servings



Ingredients:

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, ground
  • 20 sheets filo pastry
  • 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

For the syrup

  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 4 tsp glucose
  • 1/2 cup water
  1. First mix the cinnamon with the crushed walnuts. Set aside.
  2. Melt the butter. Cut the thawed dough into the right shape to fit your pan (I used an 8x8 pyrex dish). Butter the bottom of the dish and lay down your first sheet of filo. Butter it. Put down the next one and butter it. Now put down another one and butter it, too. Keep going until you've put down 20 squares of dough.
  3. Spread the walnut mixture over that top sheet of dough and then put another sheet on top. Butter that one too, and each individual additional sheet you put on afterwards (another 20). Now transfer to the fridge for 10 minutes.
  4. Cut the baclava up into shapes (diamond is traditional) making sure you go all the way through to the bottom. Spray the top of the dough with a little bit of water and transfer it to your oven. Bake at 300 degrees for 90 minutes or until you can't stand waiting any more, which may mean your baclava doesn't get cooked all the way.
  5. Just before you're ready to take the baclava out of the oven, make the syrup. Just put all three ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let boil for 3 minutes.
  6. Take the baclava out of the oven and while it is still warm pour the syrup over.