Baklava
- 1 12 cups butter
- 1 cinnamon sticks or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 20 allspice berries or 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 6 ounces blanched almonds
- 6 ounces walnuts
- 6 ounces pistachios
- 23 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons rose water
- 1 lb phyllo dough, thawed
- 1 14 cups orange blossom honey
- 1 14 cups water
- 1 14 cups sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 piece orange rind, about 2 inches
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 4 tablespoons rose water, divided
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Clarify the butter: Cut butter into 1 inch pats.
- Melt over low heat.
- Let stand for 15 minutes.
- With a spoon, carefully remove all the white foam that collects on top.
- With another spoon, very carefully spoon the liquid into a measuring cup being careful not to mix or disturb the solids that collect on the bottom.
- The solids can be discarded.
- Set the clarified butter aside.
- If using whole spices, place them in a spice grinder and grind finely.
- Combine the water and rose water in a small food safe spritz bottle and set aside.
- Place the almonds, walnuts, pistachios, sugar and spices into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, but not pasty or powdery, about 12 to 15 quick pulses.
- Divide evenly into three parts.
- Set aside.
- Have ready a damp towel to cover the phyllo sheets if they start to dry out.
- If you work quickly and the day is not too dry you probably wont need this.
- Trim the sheets of phyllo to fit the bottom of a 13 X 9 X 2-inch metal pan.
- Brush the bottom and sides of the pan with clarified butter.
- Lay down a sheet of phyllo and brush with clarified butter using a pastry brush.
- Repeat this step 11 more times for a total of 12 sheets of phyllo.
- Top with 1/3 of the nut mixture and spread thinly and evenly over the phyllo.
- Spritz thoroughly with the rose water mixture you want it to be damp, not soaking wet.
- Layer 6 more sheets of phyllo with butter in between each of them, followed by another third of the nuts and spritz with rose water mixture.
- Repeat with another 6 sheets of phyllo, butter, remaining nuts, and rose water mixture.
- Top with 10 sheets of phyllo brushing with butter in between each sheet.
- Brush the top generously with butter.
- Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove pan from the oven and cut into about 36 squares on the diagonal, being sure to cut all the way through.
- Return pan to the oven and continue to bake for another 30 minutes.
- Remove pan from the oven, place on a cooling rack, and cool for 2 hours before adding the syrup.
- Make the syrup during the last 30 minutes of cooling.
- Combine the honey, water, sugar, cinnamon stick, orange peel, cardamom, and 2 Tablespoons of rose water in a 4-quart saucepan and set over high heat.
- Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved.
- Let the mixture come to a boil then for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the heat.
- Pour the mixture through a sieve into a large container, preferably one with a spout.
- Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons rose water.
- Discard the orange peel and cinnamon stick.
- After the baklava has cooled for 2 hours, re-cut the entire pan following the same lines as before.
- Pour the hot syrup evenly over the top of the baklava, allowing it to run into the cuts and around the edges of the pan.
- If your container does not have a spout, use a ladle.
- Allow the pan to sit, uncovered until completely cool.
- Cover and store at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to overnight before serving.
- Store, covered, at room temperature for up to 5 days.
butter, cinnamon, berries, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, sugar, water, water, phyllo dough, orange blossom, water, sugar, cinnamon, orange rind, ground cardamom, water
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/baklava-419349 (may not work)