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Baklava by www.country-cooking.com
1 Batch
-----------------------------------DOUGH-----------------------------------
1 lb Strudel dough
-(or fillo leaves)
1 lb Butter, unsalted,
-well-melted (salted
-butter (or margarine)
-is not acceptable)
----------------------------------FILLING----------------------------------
1 lb Walnut meat,
-chopped medium-fine
1/4 c Sugar
1 t Vanilla (or use
-vanilla sugar)
-----------------------------------SYRUP-----------------------------------
4 c Sugar
2 c Water
1 t Lemon juice
Heat oven to 300 degrees F. to 325 degrees F.
MAKE THE SYRUP: Boil the water and sugar for 15 minutes. Add lemon juice,
boil 10 more minutes, set aside to cool.
MAKE THE FILLING: Mix all ingredients well. I prefer the walnuts fairly
coarse; some people like them quite fine.
BUILD THE BAKLAVA: Cut the dough with scissors to the size of the tray.
Handle the dough very carefully; do not press hard on it at any time. Cover
with wax paper and damp towel.
Take out one sheet of dough at a time and place it in the pan. Brush the
dough with melted butter between each layer. Continue until you have about
12 sheets buttered. Small and broken pieces of dough can be used in the
center, but there must be butter between every two layers.
Spread walnut filling across the tray. Put on a sheet of dough, brush on
butter and continue until all the dough is used up.
Cut into diamond shapes: cut into quarters with cuts parallel to the long
axis, then cut diagonally across. Don't press hard!
Bake for about 1 1/2 hour, until golden brown. Be careful not to burn the
bottom or the walnuts, especially with a glass pan.
Let cool on rack for 5 minutes. Add syrup which should have cooled to room
temperature. Let cool for at least two hours before eating.
NOTES:
* An incredibly sweet and wonderful Balkan dessert -- Baklava is claimed
by almost every Balkan state as its own invention; most people in the
United States first encounter it in Greek restaurants. If the truth were
known, it's probably the Turkish who invented it, as is the case for many
other "typically Greek" dishes. This recipe comes from my Bulgarian
grandmother and follows Bulgarian tradition, in that the filling is very
simple. Makes two small pans.
* Probably the hardest thing about this recipe is waiting those last two
hours!
* Depending on where you go, you'll hear the name of this dish pronounced
different ways. I pronounce the name with all /ah/ sounds, with accents of
equal intensity on both the first and third syllable. The second syllable
is quite faint. Greek-speaking persons typically put a heavy accent on the
second syllable.
* Many variations on the filling are to be found. A simple one was
mentioned above, regarding the coarseness of grind of the walnuts in the
filling. They may even be ground. Spices such as chopped cloves or cinnamon
may be added and the filling may be included in several layers instead of
just one.
* A large (14 x 10 inch) pan is almost too big to handle. I typically
make this recipe in two 7 3/4 x 11 inch pans, which is just about the size
of a half sheet of the dough I buy. By the way, if you can make your own
strudel dough, it will be even better... but much more effort.
* It is best to have a partner help you prepare the pans. One person
handles the dough and places it in the pan, while the other applies the
butter. It is very important that sufficient butter be placed between
layers so that each layer gets flaky, rather than having them stick
together. Pay particular attention to the edges and corners.
* In case you haven't noticed, this is very sweet stuff. It goes great
with a fine cup of coffee, espresso, or Turkish coffee, even with sugar.
Two pieces will probably fill anyone up; it refrigerates and freezes quite
well. This recipe requires a lot of effort, but it's well worth it.
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