Nutty Baklava Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and grease a 21cm x 21cm square cake tin with butter. Chop the nuts into small pieces using a food processor, taking care not to blitz them to a paste. Put them into a bowl, stir in the honey and a pinch of salt and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat. Cut the first pack of filo pastry sheets in half (so that they fit the tin). Put one sheet in the tin and brush with the melted butter. Lay another sheet on top and brush with butter again, keep layering like this until the whole pack is used up.
• Spread the honey and nut mixture over the pastry and press it down lightly with the back of a spoon. Open the other pack of filo, cut in half and continue the layering and buttering process. When you reach the last sheet pour any remaining butter over the top to finish. Use a sharp knife to cut deep lines into the pastry to create either squares or diamond shapes then bake in the oven for 20 mins.
• Reduce the heat to 150C/130C fan/gas 2 and bake for a further 45 mins. While the baklava cooks put all the syrup ingredients into a saucepan and add 200ml water. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved then boil the mixture for 8-10 mins or until it has reduced to the consistency of runny honey.
• When the baklava comes out of the oven, pour the warm syrup over the top, allowing it to run into the lines you have cut. Leave it to soak in and serve when it's completely cold.

Steps:

• Combine coconut, macadamia nuts, pecans, brown sugar, and allspice; stir well.
• Set aside.
• Butter a 13X9 baking pan.
• Cut phyllo in half, crosswise, and cut each half to fit the pan.
• Discard trimmings.
• Cover phyllo with a slightly damp towel.
• Layer 10 sheets of phyllo in pan, brushing each sheet with melted butter.
• Sprinkle one-third of nut mixture over phyllo in pan.
• Top with 10 sheets of phyllo, brushing each sheet with melted butter.
• Repeat procedure twice with remaining nut mixture, phyllo, and butter, ending with the buttered phyllo.
• Cut into diamond shapes, using a sharp knife.
• (Do not cut through bottom layer).
• Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until top is browned.
• Let cool completely.
• Combine 1 cup sugar, water, and honey in a medium saucepan.
• Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat; drizzle syrup over baklava.
• Cover and let stand at room temperature 24 hours.
• *Wheneverworking with phyllo dough, be sure to keep it covered with a damp towel or plastic wrap to prevent it drying out.
• Only take out one sheet at a time.

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease an 8-inch square baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray and line with a piece of parchment paper so that it has 2 inches of overhang on 2 sides of the pan.
• To make the batter: In a large bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter, honey, salt, cinnamon, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Whisk together for 1 minute until smooth. Add the egg and whisk to incorporate. Add the flour and whisk to combine. Fold in the nuts, scrape into the prepared baking dish and bake until puffed and golden brown on the edges but still light in the center, 28 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan to room temperature.
• Remove the blondie from the pan and spread the Frosting on top in a swirly layer. Garnish with chopped pistachios and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the frosting to get firm for nice slicing. Slice into diamond-shaped bars and serve.
• To prepare the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), cream together the butter and honey until light and creamy, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the powdered sugar, lemon zest and juice and salt, then whip for 2 to 3 minutes or until pale and fluffy.

Steps:

• Soak the diced figs in the rum in a large bowl for at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread the walnuts and almonds out on a baking sheet and toast until darkened and fragrant, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cool. Toss the nuts, chocolate, sugar, and spices with the figs and the rum.
• Bring the butter to a simmer over low heat. Skim and discard the foamy solids that rise to the top until the butter is clear, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Lightly butter a 16 1/2 by 11 1/2-inch sheet pan. Remove the phyllo from the package, unroll and lay it on the counter next to the pan and cover with a kitchen towel. Lay 1 sheet of the phyllo on the pan and brush lightly with butter. Repeat with 11 more sheets of phyllo working quickly and keeping the phyllo covered, as you assemble the baklava. Scatter 1/3 of the nut mixture (about 1 1/2 cups) evenly over the layers of phyllo. Repeat 2 more times and top with the remaining 12 sheets of dough. Carefully, cut 3/4 of the way through the phyllo and nut filling to make about 96 (1 1/2-inch) squares.
• Bake the baklava until light brown and cooked through, about 1 hour. Raise the temperature to 450 degrees F and bake until golden crisp, about 5 to 8 more minutes.
• While the baklava crisps make the syrup: Heat the sugar, honey, and water in a saucepan over high heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon juice and carefully pour the hot syrup over the just baked baklava, making sure to get into all the cuts. Let cool. Complete the pre-made cuts in the baklava and serve with some honey drizzled on top.
• Store the baklava in a sealed container for up to 1 week.

Steps:

• 1. To make the syrup: Stir the sugar, water, lemon juice, and if using, the corn syrup, cinnamon sticks, and/or cloves over low heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Stop stirring, increase the heat to medium, and cook until the mixture is slightly syrupy, about 5 minutes (it will register 225 degrees on a candy thermometer). Discard the cinnamon sticks and whole cloves. Let cool.
• 2. To make the filling: Combine all the filling ingredients.
• 3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-by-9-inch or 13-by-9-inch baking pan or 15-by-10-inch jelly roll pan.
• 4. Place a sheet of phyllo in the prepared pan and lightly brush with butter. Repeat with 7 more sheets. Spread with half of the filling. Top with 8 more sheets, brushing each with butter. Use any torn sheets in the middle layer. Spread with the remaining nut mixture and end with a top layer of 8 sheets, continuing to brush each with butter. Trim any overhanging edges.
• 5. Using a sharp knife, cut 6 equal lengthwise strips (about 1 3/4 inches wide) through the top layer of pastry. Make 1 1/2-inch-wide diagonal cuts across the strips to form diamond shapes.
• 6. Just before baking, lightly sprinkle the top of the pastry with cold water. This inhibits the pastry from curling. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300 degrees and bake until golden brown, about 15 additional minutes.
• 7. Cut through the scored lines. Drizzle the cooled syrup slowly over the hot baklava and let cool for at least 4 hours. Cover and store at room temperature for up to 1 week. If the baklava dries out while being stored, drizzle with a little additional hot syrup.
• VARIATIONS
• Instead of brushing each layer of phyllo with butter, cut the unbaked baklava into diamonds all the way through, drizzle with 1 cup vegetable oil, and let stand for 10 minutes before baking.
• Persian Baklava:
• Using the almonds and cardamom in the filling: Omit the lemon juice and cinnamon from the syrup and add 1/4 cup rose water or 1 tablespoon orange blossom water after it has cooled.
• Paklava(Azerbaijani Baklava):
• For the filling, use 2 cups blanched almonds, 2 cups unsalted pistachios, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Crush 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads and let steep in 3 tablespoons of the melted butter for 15 minutes and use to brush the top sheet of phyllo.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Light grease a 9x13 baking dish or pan. Cut phyllo sheets in half crosswise to fit in pan. Cover phyllo with a lightly dampened tea towel to prevent drying out.
• Combine trail mix, dried fruits, sugar,and cinnamon in a food processor. Finely chop. Set aside.
• Gently lay a piece of phyllo pastry in pan and brush with melted butter. Repeat with 7 more sheets of phyllo. Brushing each sheet with melted butter.
• Sprinkle a thin layer of nuts and fruit mixture over phyllo, cover with 2 more sheets of phyllo pastry, brushing each sheet with butter. Repeat this of sprinkling the nut mixture, then 2 sheets of buttered phyllo pastry until all the nut mixture is used.
• Top with the final 8 individual buttered phyllo sheets. With a sharp knife, cut into 40 equal squares. Bake until edges are crisp and top is golden brown, 30-35 minutes.
• In a small saucepan, combine honey and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer gently for 7 minutes or until slightly thickened. Let cool.
• Spoon cooled syrup over hot baklava and let cool for at least 4 hours. Garnish with some finely chopped nuts, if desired.