Baklava

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Crispy, and oozing with sweet, spiced syrup. How do you say “nom nom” in Greek?

Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated.

Makes 30 - 40 pieces

Ingredients: Sugar Syrup

1 cinnamon stick
5 whole cloves
1/8 teaspoon table salt


1¼ cups granulated sugar
¾ cup water
1/3 cup honey
3 strips lemon zest

Ingredients: Nut Filling

¼ teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon table salt

8 ounces blanched slivered almonds
4 ounces walnuts
1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon

Ingredients: Pastry

3 sticks butter
1 pound frozen phyllo, thawed

Instructions

  1. Make the sugar syrup: Combine syrup ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to full boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Transfer to a 2-cup measuring cup and set aside to cool
  2. Make the nut filling: Pulse almonds in food processor until very finely chopped, about twenty 1-second pulses; transfer to medium bowl. Pulse walnuts in food processor until very finely chopped, about fifteen 1-second pulses, and add to bowl. Toss to combine, and set aside 2 tablespoons of nuts for garnish. Add cinnamon, cloves, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and salt to the rest of the nuts. Toss well to combine.
  3. Clarify the butter: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Continue cooking until the sputtering and steaming settle down, and no more foam is rising to the surface. Remove from heat, and skim the foam off the top. Pour through a sieve lined with cheesecloth, into a bowl. You should have about a cup.
  4. Brush a 13- by 9-inch baking pan with a little melted butter. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300°F.
  5. Unwrap and unfold phyllo.  Most brands come in sheets that are about twice the size of the baking pan; if that’s the case, cut them in half to fit. Cover with a damp kitchen towel to prevent drying.
  6. Place one phyllo sheet in bottom of baking pan and brush until completely coated with butter. Repeat with 7 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter.
  7. Evenly distribute about 1/3 of the nuts over the phyllo. Cover nuts with phyllo sheet and dab with butter (phyllo will slip if butter if you try to brush it). Continue with 5 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter.
  8. Repeat layering with another 1/3 of the nuts, followed by 6 sheets phyllo, dabbing the first one and brushing the rest with butter.  
  9. Finish with the rest of the nuts, followed by 8 to 10 sheets of phyllo, dabbing the first one and brushing the res - except the final sheet - with butter.
  10. Using your palms, compress the baklava to press out any air pockets, working from the center outward.
  11. Spoon the rest of the butter onto the top layer and brush to cover all surfaces.
  12. Using a serrated knife with pointed tip, cut baklava with a gentle sawing motion into diamonds, about 1½ inches wide, rotating pan as necessary to complete cuts.
  13. Bake until golden and crisped, about 1½ hours, rotating baking pan halfway through baking.
  14. Remove the lemon zest, cinnamon stick and cloves from the syrup with a slotted spoon. Immediately after removing baklava from oven, pour the syrup over cut lines until about 2 tablespoons remain (syrup will sizzle when it hits hot pan); drizzle remaining syrup over surface.
  15. Garnish the center of each piece with a pinch of reserved ground nuts.
  16. Cool to room temperature on wire rack, about 3 hours, then cover with foil and let stand at least 8 hours before serving.

My husband says: Working with phyllo isn’t as hard as some people make out. Some tips:

  • Move the package from the freezer to the refrigerator the night before.
  • Remove the package from the refrigerator a couple of hours before you want to start, and don’t open it until you do start.
  • Have all your ingredients and equipment in place before you start, and work efficiently – you don’t really have to rush.
  • Keep the sheets you’re not working with under a damp dish towel.