Baklava

Baklava is a traditional Turkish dessert. Baklava is made of thin pastry, called Phyllo sheets, layers filled with nuts, pistachios and/or walnuts. It sweetened with sugar syrup or honey. It’s name comes from Old Turkic language. It means wrapped. There are many ways to make Baklava.

This recipe makes 15 to 16 pieces of Baklava.

Ingredients

For stuffing

Crushed Pistachios – 1 cup

Crushed Walnuts – 1 cup

Sugar – 1/2 cup

Orange blossom water 1 tbsp or Orange extract 4-5 drops

Cardamom Powder 1 tsp

For syrup

Sugar – 1/2 cup

Water – 1 cup

Orange extract – 2 – 3 drops

Other Ingredient

Melted Butter – 1 cube

Phyllo – 16 sheets

Direction

For stuffing

1. Take Crushed pistachios and walnuts in a Bowl. Add sugar, Cardamom Powder and orange blossom water or orange essence (I used orange extract). Mix it very well.

2. Take one phyllo sheet on a working surface and cover remaining sheet with kitchen towel otherwise it will dry out very fast and you will not be able to work with it. Apply butter on the sheet. Be very Gentle with phyllo sheet. Put another sheet on it. Again apply butter on it. Apply butter on whole sheet. Good amount of butter on each phyllo sheet will make Baklava flaky. Put third sheet on it. Do the same process. Put forth sheet on it and apply butter.

3. Sprinkle stuffing all over the sheet. Roll it tightly like a cigar. Apply butter on roll. Do the same process with remaining sheets and you will end up preparing 4 rolls.

4.Take greased baking tray. Put prepared rolls on it and apply Butter on each roll.

5. Bake this in pre heated oven on 375 degree F. for 30 minutes or until rolls are golden brown in color.

For syrup

6. Take a sugar and water in a sauce pan. Boil this mixture on Medium to high heat. Add 2-3 drops of orange extract. Prepare one thread consistency sugar syrup . It will take around 8-10 minutes.

7. Take out golden brown rolls from the oven and pour sugar syrup immediately. Let it cool for at least 1-2 hours. Then cut it into pieces.

Your Baklava is ready.