I'm ethnic. Are you?
In celebration of my love of arabic food I decided to make baklawa (or baklava if you are american). My mum used to make this all the time for us when we were younger and having been to many family dinners I've eaten my fair share of this seriously great desert.
Funnily enough I made this the week before this Daring Bakers challenge was posted, so decided to post the recipe I used, which is from Claudia Roden's Mediterranean Cookery. This book is unfortunately out of publish now, but it has some really great recipes in it, including this one below for baklawa. You can still buy some of Roden's cook books, which I think are really good as she has an arabic/ Mediterranean background.
The recipe for the DB challenge asked us to make our own filo pastry. I would have loved to have done this, but unfortunately I have a job and have no time to make my own. Also most chef's I know would always say why bother making it when you can buy pretty decent stuff already!
If time allowed I would try to make it, but hey for now this is pretty damn good.
Funnily enough I made this the week before this Daring Bakers challenge was posted, so decided to post the recipe I used, which is from Claudia Roden's Mediterranean Cookery. This book is unfortunately out of publish now, but it has some really great recipes in it, including this one below for baklawa. You can still buy some of Roden's cook books, which I think are really good as she has an arabic/ Mediterranean background.
The recipe for the DB challenge asked us to make our own filo pastry. I would have loved to have done this, but unfortunately I have a job and have no time to make my own. Also most chef's I know would always say why bother making it when you can buy pretty decent stuff already!
If time allowed I would try to make it, but hey for now this is pretty damn good.
I had never made it before but it was actually pretty easy, and I think I managed to use a lot less butter than the recipe told me to (win).
The best bit? I got the ultimate seal of approval from my dad. Usually he never compliments my baking (he has high standards), but he said that this baklawa was really good! *High five*.
Erica of Erica’s Edibles was our host for the Daring Baker’s June challenge. Erica challenged us to be truly DARING by making homemade phyllo dough and then to use that homemade dough to make Baklava
Erica of Erica’s Edibles was our host for the Daring Baker’s June challenge. Erica challenged us to be truly DARING by making homemade phyllo dough and then to use that homemade dough to make Baklava
Baklawa/ Baklava
( adapted from Claudia Roden's Mediterranean Cookery)
Ingredients
500g filo pastry
350g unsalted butter
750g nuts, almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts, peanuts, really whatever nut combination you fancy.
50g ground almonds
50g caster sugar
1tsp cinnamon
For the syrup
500g sugar
1tblspn lemon juice
2 tblspn rose water
300ml water
Method
1. Make the syrup first as you want to give it time to cool. Boil the sugar and water with the lemon juice for about 10 minutes. Then add the rose water and cook for a few seconds longer. Let it cool and put aside ready for when you need it.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 180C (350F). Brush a large roasting tin a little smaller than the size of the sheets of filo with butter. Lay half the sheets in the tin one on top of the other brushing the melted butter in between each sheet and folding them around the edges. Make sure you thoroughly coat each sheet with butter.
3. Chop the nuts and mix with the sugar and cinnamon. After about 7 sheets of filo and butter, pour the nut mixture on top and spread evenly. (You can either do this in 2 layers or as many nut/pastry layers as you like. But always put at least 7 sheets of filo in between each layer).
4. Cover with the rest of the filo brushing in between the sheets with butter again and the top sheet.
5. Using a sharp knife brushed with butter, cut the pastry into parallel lines apart and then diagonally to form diamond shaped pieces, straight through to the bottom.
6. Bake for 25 minutes, then reduce the heat to 150F (300F) and bake for a further 20 minutes until crisp and golden.
7. Take the baklawa straight out of the oven and pour the syrup immediately over it. It is important you do this whilst the baklawa is still hot. Let it cool and then cut with a knife through the same lines previously cut and serve.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 180C (350F). Brush a large roasting tin a little smaller than the size of the sheets of filo with butter. Lay half the sheets in the tin one on top of the other brushing the melted butter in between each sheet and folding them around the edges. Make sure you thoroughly coat each sheet with butter.
3. Chop the nuts and mix with the sugar and cinnamon. After about 7 sheets of filo and butter, pour the nut mixture on top and spread evenly. (You can either do this in 2 layers or as many nut/pastry layers as you like. But always put at least 7 sheets of filo in between each layer).
4. Cover with the rest of the filo brushing in between the sheets with butter again and the top sheet.
5. Using a sharp knife brushed with butter, cut the pastry into parallel lines apart and then diagonally to form diamond shaped pieces, straight through to the bottom.
6. Bake for 25 minutes, then reduce the heat to 150F (300F) and bake for a further 20 minutes until crisp and golden.
7. Take the baklawa straight out of the oven and pour the syrup immediately over it. It is important you do this whilst the baklawa is still hot. Let it cool and then cut with a knife through the same lines previously cut and serve.
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| That's my baklawa in the center. I'll post the recipe for the chocolate cake on top soon. |
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