Sweet Dulce & Elegant Baklava…The Recipe from Robin
Every few months our restaurant manager Robin Naser will drop by with a few pieces of this delightful baklava and I’ve long since wanted to know how to make it. We thought it would be the perfect pairing for our Dulce - sweet with sweet. The Dulce has notes of honey, lemon, and apricot that you can not so subtly pick up in this pairing. The layered and love you put into making this is worth it! Let us know if you’ve made different kinds of baklava and what your favorites are.
ROBIN’S BAKLAVA
INGREDIENTS
16 oz phyllo dough, thawed
1 cup of shelled pistachios
1-1/4 cups unsalted butter, 10 oz or 2 1/2 sticks, melted
Add one cup of ghee to the butter and mix
1 lb walnuts, finely chopped, (about 4 cups)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cinnamon sticks
1 cup light brown sugar
3 orange peel
2 lemon peel
2 Tbs lemon juice, juice of 1/2 large lemon or 1 small
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup pure honey
INSTRUCTIONS
Thaw phyllo dough by package instructions (this is best done overnight in the fridge, then place it on the counter for one hour before starting your recipe to bring it to room temp).
1. Trim phyllo dough to fit your baking dish. A phyllo package had 2 rolls with a total of 40 sheets that measured 9x14 so I had to trim them slightly or just fold it over. You can trim one stack at a time then cover it with a damp towel to keep it from drying out.
2. Butter the bottom and sides of a 13x9 non-stick baking pan. Start with your honey sauce (which needs time to cool as baklava bakes).
3. In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup honey, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 3/4 cup water, cinnamon sticks, orange, and lemon peel. Bring to a boil over med-high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then reduce heat to med-low and boil an additional 4 min without stirring. Remove from heat and let the syrup cool while preparing baklava.
4. Preheat Oven to 325˚F.
5. Pulse walnuts and pistachios 10 times in a food processor until coarsely ground/ finely chopped. In a medium bowl, stir together the mixture and 1 tsp cinnamon.
6. Place 10 phyllo sheets into a baking pan one at a time, brushing each sheet with butter once it’s in the pan before adding the next (i.e. place phyllo sheet into pan, brush the top with butter, place next phyllo sheet in pan, butter the top, etc. etc.)**. Keep the remaining phyllo covered with a damp towel at all times. Spread about 1/5 of the nut mixture (about 3/4 cup) over phyllo dough.
7. Add 5 buttered sheets of phyllo, then another layer of nuts. Repeat x 4. Add the remaining nuts to the final layer. Finish off with 10 layers of buttered phyllo sheets. Brush the very top with butter.
8. Cut pastry into 1-1/2 inch wide strips, then cut diagonally to form diamond shapes. Bake at 325˚F for 1 hour and 15 min or until tops are golden brown.
9. Remove from oven and immediately spoon cooled syrup evenly over the hot baklava (you’ll hear it sizzle). This will ensure that it stays crisp rather than soggy. Let the baklava cool completely, uncovered, and at room temp. For best results, let the baklava sit for 4-6 hours or overnight at room temperature for the syrup to penetrate and soften the layers.
Garnish baklava with finely chopped nuts or drizzle with melted chocolate. Store at room temp, covered with a tea towel for 1 to 2 weeks.
**This is the order we used for the layers:
10 buttered phyllo sheets, 3/4 cup nut mixture,
5 buttered phyllo sheets, 3/4 cup nut mixture,
5 buttered phyllo sheets, 3/4 cup nut mixture,
5 buttered phyllo sheets, 3/4 cup nut mixture,
5 buttered phyllo sheets, 3/4 cup nut mixture
10 buttered phyllo sheets and butter the top.
Kelly Doherty is the Branding and Marketing Director of Kiepersol. A photographer, graphic designer, and writer at heart, the winery and vineyard are the inspired backdrop for Kelly’s creative endeavors.
She holds a WSET Level 3 Award in Wines from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, is a member of the Society of Wine Educators, and loves talking about wine.
