Middle Eastern Phyllo Walnut Dessert (Printer-Friendly)
Buttery phyllo pastry layered with walnuts, pistachios, and almonds, then soaked in aromatic honey syrup for a crisp, sweet Middle Eastern treat.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pastry and Filling
01 - 14 oz phyllo dough (about 18-20 sheets)
02 - 9 oz unsalted butter, melted
03 - 7 oz walnuts, finely chopped
04 - 3.5 oz pistachios, finely chopped
05 - 3 oz almonds, finely chopped
06 - 3 oz granulated sugar
07 - 1 tsp ground cinnamon
→ Syrup
08 - 1 cup water
09 - 10.5 oz sugar
10 - 2 tbsp lemon juice
11 - 2 tbsp honey
12 - 1 cinnamon stick
13 - 1 strip orange peel (optional)
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with melted butter.
02 - Combine chopped walnuts, pistachios, almonds, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Mix thoroughly.
03 - Unroll phyllo dough and cover with a damp towel to prevent drying while working.
04 - Place 8 sheets of phyllo in the prepared dish, brushing each sheet generously with melted butter before adding the next.
05 - Sprinkle about one-third of the nut mixture evenly over the phyllo base.
06 - Add 4 more phyllo sheets, buttering each one. Spread half of the remaining nuts evenly.
07 - Layer 4 additional phyllo sheets with butter between each. Sprinkle the final layer of nuts.
08 - Complete with remaining phyllo sheets, brushing each layer with melted butter.
09 - Using a sharp knife, cut the baklava into diamonds or squares before baking.
10 - Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
11 - Combine water, sugar, lemon juice, honey, cinnamon stick, and orange peel in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon and peel, let cool slightly.
12 - Immediately pour hot syrup evenly over the entire baked baklava. Allow to cool completely to absorb syrup before serving.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The contrast between impossibly crisp layers and syrup soaked nuts creates something magical in every bite
- People will assume you spent hours mastering technique, but the process is surprisingly forgiving
- Your kitchen will smell like honey and cinnamon, which is basically happiness in aroma form
02 -
- Cutting through all layers before baking is essential or you will end up with ragged, messy pieces later
- Hot syrup poured over hot pastry creates the perfect texture, but cold syrup makes baklava soggy and sad
- Room temperature ingredients for assembly prevent butter from seizing and phyllo from cracking
03 -
- Work quickly but calmly once phyllo is unrolled, because exposure to air makes it brittle fast
- A small offset spatula makes smoothing butter easier and more even than a brush