Middle Eastern Baklava with Nuts (Printable)
Crisp phyllo pastry layers filled with mixed nuts and soaked in sweet honey syrup for a traditional Middle Eastern treat.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pastry and Filling
01 - 1 package phyllo dough (about 18-20 sheets, 14 oz)
02 - 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted (1 cup)
03 - 2 cups walnuts, finely chopped (about 7 oz)
04 - 1 cup pistachios, finely chopped (about 3.5 oz)
05 - 3/4 cup almonds, finely chopped (about 3 oz)
06 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
→ Syrup
08 - 1 cup water
09 - 1.5 cups granulated sugar
10 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
11 - 2 tablespoons honey
12 - 1 cinnamon stick
13 - 1 strip orange peel (optional)
# How To Cook:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 9x13 inch baking dish with some of the melted butter.
02 - Combine the chopped walnuts, pistachios, almonds, 1/3 cup sugar, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly to distribute evenly.
03 - Unroll the phyllo dough and cover immediately with a damp kitchen towel to prevent drying out. Keep the towel covering the sheets you're not currently working with.
04 - Place 8 sheets of phyllo in the buttered dish, brushing each sheet generously with melted butter before adding the next. Work quickly to prevent the phyllo from drying.
05 - Sprinkle approximately one-third of the nut mixture evenly over the phyllo base.
06 - Add 4 more phyllo sheets, buttering each one thoroughly. Spread half of the remaining nut mixture over this layer.
07 - Add 4 additional phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter. Sprinkle the final portion of nuts evenly over the surface.
08 - Top with the remaining phyllo sheets, buttering each layer generously as you stack them.
09 - Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the baklava into diamond shapes or squares before baking. Cut all the way through to the bottom of the dish.
10 - Bake for 35-40 minutes until the baklava is golden brown and crisp. The top should be evenly colored.
11 - While the baklava bakes, combine water, 1.5 cups sugar, lemon juice, honey, cinnamon stick, and orange peel in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove cinnamon stick and orange peel. Let the syrup cool slightly while still warm.
12 - Immediately after removing the baklava from the oven, slowly pour the warm syrup evenly over the entire surface. Allow to cool completely in the dish for at least 4 hours so the phyllo absorbs the syrup properly before serving.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The contrast between impossibly crisp layers and that honey soaked nut filling is absolutely addictive
- People assume you spent hours mastering some obscure pastry technique but it is mostly assembly and love
02 -
- Never skip brushing butter between every single layer, even when you get tired of doing it
- Cutting the baklava before baking is non negotiable, cutting after will destroy all your delicate layers
- The syrup must be poured onto hot baklava, not cold or you will not get that perfect absorption
03 -
- Work quickly with phyllo but do not rush, that delicate balance comes with practice
- A little rose water or orange blossom water in the syrup makes it taste like it came from a professional bakery