saj@iuvax.UUCP (02/15/84)
#N:iuvax:11300004:000:3120 iuvax!saj Jan 5 17:28:00 1984 Enjoy! (I have) BAKLAVA (Walnut Strudel) 2 lbs. Athens Thin Fillo 1 lb. sweet butter, melted 1 1/2 lbs. walnuts or blanched almonds, chopped 1/2 c. sugar 1/2 t. cinnamon 1/8 t. cloves Combine chopped walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. Brush baking tray (12 x 17") with melted butter. Place 15 fillo leaves at bottom, brushing each with melted butter. Spread one-third of walnut mixture on leaves. Place 5-6 buttered leaves on mixture and spread an additional one-third of walnut mixture. Add another layer with 5-6 buttered leaves using the remaining walnut mixture. There must be 15-17 leaves to place on top layer. Brush top layer of leaves with remaining melted butter. With a pointed sharp knife, score top sheets in diamond square shapes in sizes you desire. Bake in moderate oven (350-375 degrees) for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until golden brown. Let cool and pour warm syrup evenly over Baklava. Serve when cool. Syrup: 2 c. sugar 1 c. honey 2 c. water 1 lemon or orange rind Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 mins. Strain and cool. Pour over Baklava. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Variation on a theme: Coconut Baklava Follow directions for walnut baklava. substitute chopped walnuts with 3 cups of coconut. Omit cinnamon. Tips from Scott: 1) The most critical factor is getting the phyllo leaves right. One must be *very* careful when thawing them. They become soggy and somewhat like elmer's glue sandwiched between kleenex if sufficient care is not taken. Let the frozen leaves thaw in the refrigerator for a day, then put them out at room temperature for several hours. The slower the thawing process, the better. Do not allow the leaves to become heated. If you are unfortunate enough to get a box of phyllo leaves that was somehow thawed improperly before you ever got your hands on it (like sitting on the back dock of kroger's grocery for an hour in the sun), then get your money back. You will know if you have a bad batch. 2) Watch how much butter you're using. I've found that it usually takes more than 1 lb of butter (so keep extra on hand). It doesn't seem to hurt to put an extra 1/2 lb of butter on. 3) Cut deep with the knife *before* it goes in the oven. This is the easiest time to cut. These cuts will provide the valleys through which the syrup will flow. You will probably have to retrace the cuts after it comes out of the oven. 4) Make sure the syrup comes to a boil--otherwise it tends to have a granular texture when it cools. I find that the citrus rind adds a lot in flavor so don't skimp there. 5) Choose your honey carefully. It is critical to the taste of the final product. You might experiment with both very sweet and not-so-sweet honey. 6) I usually make my batch half walnut and half coconut just for variety. There are also other variations... other types of nuts and fruits. Pineapple might prove interesting. 7) Some have said that you can get by with half the amount of syrup. It is very sweet so I tend to agree. Any questions? Good luck. Scott Jones Indiana University ...ihnp4!inuxc!iuvax!saj