Simple Baklava Recipes

Steps:

• Make the syrup: Combine sugar, 1 cup water, honey, orange zest and cardamom in a saucepan. Simmer over low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves, about 10 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the rose water, if using. Let cool, then pour the syrup into an airtight container and refrigerate until chilled, or up to 1 day in advance.
• Make the baklava: Heat the oven to 350 degrees, with a rack in the center. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Stir together melted butter and oil in a bowl, and set near where you'll be rolling the baklava.
• In a food processor, pulse the peanuts, pistachios, walnuts, confectioners' sugar, rose water, cardamom and cinnamon until the nuts are very finely chopped and the mixture is almost pasty.
• Lay 3 sheets of phyllo dough stacked on top of one another on the counter or cutting board with one of the short sides closest to you. Cover the unused sheets of phyllo with a damp kitchen towel as you work, or they'll dry out.
• Very generously brush the top layer of phyllo dough with about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the butter mixture. Spread a fifth (about 1 1/4 cups/145 grams) of the nut mixture on the bottom third of the phyllo dough and pack it down. Roll the 3 phyllo sheets together away from you to form a compact log. Keep the seam side down as you work on more rolls. Repeat with the remaining phyllo dough and nut mixture to form 4 more rolls. Place the rolls on the baking sheet and freeze for 10 minutes to make them easier to slice.
• Remove from the freezer and, using a serrated knife, cut the rolls evenly into about 1-inch slices. Arrange the slices, cut sides up and well spaced apart, on the same baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking.
• Remove from the oven. While still warm, carefully transfer the baklava and arrange snugly, cut side up, in a large serving dish (a 9-by-13-will fit most, but not all the rolls). Discard the orange zest and cardamom pod from the chilled rose syrup and pour the syrup all over the baklava. Let baklava cool completely before serving. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, refrigerate for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 1 month.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.
• Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.
• Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
• Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Toss together cinnamon and nuts. Unroll phyllo and cut whole stack in half to fit the dish. Cover phyllo with a damp cloth while assembling the baklava, to keep it from drying out.
• Place two sheets of phyllo in the bottom of the prepared dish. Brush generously with butter. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of the nut mixture on top. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used, ending with about 6 sheets of phyllo. Using a sharp knife, cut baklava (all the way through to the bottom of the dish) into four long rows, then (nine times) diagonally to make 36 diamond shapes.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden brown and crisp, about 50 minutes.
• While baklava is baking, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir in honey, vanilla and lemon or orange zest; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
• Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately spoon the syrup over it. Let cool completely before serving. Store uncovered.