Baklava!

[foodnfoto]

Athenaeus-where do you use the honey in your recipe?
I missed it.

[Athenaeus]

I make the syrup with honey and not with sugar

[monpetitchoux]

I have to say, Athenaeus, that I've enjoyed all your posts on honey very much. Thank you, also, for answering a question I had on the bees' diet before I even asked it. There's a beekeeper's wife here in the Napa valley whom I have become acquainted with. She let's me know when her husband, the beekeeper, is ready to spin the honey so that I can have a taste of honey in the comb. They also do it the old-fashioned way. If ever I meet you, I will have to get a bit of their orange flower honey for you to eat. It's really very special. I'll have to stop by a Greek market to get some thyme honey from Attica in order to make your baklava recipe. Thank you also for posting the Lebanese Baklava recipe. It's more like the recipes I'm used to, though, somtimes, I use a little orange flower water in the filling and then make a syrup with orange flower honey because I really like the fragrance.

By the way, how do you feel about using almonds instead of walnuts (or a mixture) in your filling? I have a bias toward almonds and an uneasiness toward walnuts.

[mudbug]

The following is from The Complete Greek Cookbook by Theresa Yianilos

Baklava

Ingredients:

1 lb Phyllo/Filo

Filling:
3 C or more chopped nuts: walnuts, pecans, almonds, pistachios or any combination desired
1/4 C sugar
1/2 t cinnamn
1 lemon, grated rind only
1/2 lb melted sweet butter or clarified salted butter
whole cloves or cassia buds

Topping:
3 C sugar
2 C water
1/8 t cream of tartar
juice of one lemon
2 t rose or brandy flavoring or 1/4 C honey

Mix ingredients for filling, set aside.

Melt butter and clarify, keep in pan to reheat of it cools and doesnt flow easily while you're working with the phyllo/filo. Use pastry brush to oil generously the bottom and sides of a large rectangular baking pan. Cut phyllo/filo an inch larger than your pan. Use scissors.

Place sheet of phyllo/filo in pan and sprinkle lightly with warm butter. Place another sheet of phyllo/filo on top of the first sheet, and sprinkle lightly with butter atain. Continue until you have spread 6 or more sheets. Spread half of the filling, including the corners.

Cover with 6 or more sheets of phyllo/filo sprinkling with butter in between. Add remaining filling. Cover with remaining sheets, oiling between each one.

Roll edges and tuck inside of pan. Do not trim as you would do for a pie. Oil the top with remaining butter. Before baking, ct thru top layers only, into the traditional diamond shapes. Use a small sharp knife with a ruler to guide you.

[Athenaeus]

I will be honest on that monpetitchoux

I started using wallnuts in my filling because baking wallnut baklava is very very difficult , you are always on the edge of failure and I wanted to show- off my skills in baking... I was working in the professional kitchen those days and showing skills was obligatory.

I like wallnuts very much and It's a very popular dessert in Greece to have just wallnuts and honey. Some people put wallnuts and honey on yoghurt.

On the other hand.
Almond gives a lighter texture and is cheeper too... if you like the flower scents as orange and rose water, I think it's better to use almonds.

A TIP

I have discovered recently that powdering some of the nut filling, wallnut or almond or pistachio gives a more flexible texture to the filling and permits the layers staying together too ESPECIALLY if you use sugar in the filling. Try it

Orange flower honey...
Orange is my favorite fruit This honey must be delicious.

[foodnfoto]

Thank you, everyone, for all your tips and recommendations. I baked a batch of baklava last night and it came out wonderfully! The tip about hot baklava and cold syrup really did the trick.
I used some Spanish rosemary honey in the syrup and blended a little into my walnut filling resulting in good adhesion of the layers of nuts and fillo. I also used orange flower water to add some depth with good results.
My only problem was that I made my diagonal cuts at too severe and angle resulting in pieces that were too long and pointy. As you can see, cosmetics are important to me.
My husband was very happy with his Valentine.
Thanks everyone.

[Isa]

Originally posted by Athenaeus
I will be honest on that monpetitchoux

I started using wallnuts in my filling because baking wallnut baklava is very very difficult , you are always on the edge of failure and I wanted to show- off my skills in baking... I was working in the professional kitchen those days and showing skills was obligatory.

Why is it more difficult Athenaeus?

[Athenaeus]

Oh walnuts...

Are so tasty but a pain you know where...
If you over bake them, they become very bitter, baklava turns to a nice deep black color... and the layers just collapse.
If you under bake walnut baklava it has a strong smell ( strong for my nose at least) The under baked walnut with the buttered phyllo is just bliah... or yakkkk in american English

Isa and other of course, have you ever tasted the famous Greek fruit preserves???
Well, you won't believe it but fresh ( when it's green during August) walnut preserve is the most tastefull thing... and of course the most difficult to prepare...

Shall I start a thread on preserves??

[panini]

I love the black walnut. Athenaeus is so right about the overcooking. This is why I add a little oil to the clarified butter. It has less tendency to fry or burn the nuts. The oil gives you a little room to play although if you do over bake it can keep cooking after you take em out of the oven.

[Isa]

Thank you Athenaeus!


Walnut spread? It sounds so intriguing. Cna you please tell me more?



No that I could ever make it, couldn't find green walnuts here if my life depended on it.