Recipe Popular in Greece and Turkey, this sweet and crispy dessert is traditionally made with buttery phyllo dough, nuts, spices, and honey. This delicious adaptation uses agave nectar instead of honey to cut down on the sweetness, and gets an extra boost of flavor from dried cherries, apricots, pears, hazelnuts, and pistachios. To keep the phyllo dough from drying out while you prepare the baklava, spread a sheet of plastic wrap on the countertop and place the phyllo on top of the sheet. Then, cover it with another sheet of plastic wrap. You can just pull the top sheet of plastic wrap aside when you’re working with it. Keep in mind that the edges of the dough typically dry out first, so it’s best to butter from the outside in.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Baklava Makes approximately 120 1-inch pieces 1⁄4
cup pistachios, toasted and chopped cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped 1⁄4 cup sun-dried cherries, cut into rough dice 1⁄4 cup sun-dried pears, cut into rough dice 1⁄4 cup dried apricots, cut into rough diced 12 sheets phyllo dough 1 cup clarified unsalted butter* 1 cup agave nectar 1⁄4 cup rose water 1⁄4
In a bowl, mix together the pistachios, hazelnuts, cherries, pears, and apricots. Lay a sheet of phyllo on your countertop and brush it with clarified butter. Place another layer of phyllo on top and brush it with clarified butter. Place the phyllo in the bottom of a halfsheet pan (13" x 18"). Sprinkle with a light layer of the nut and fruit mixture and then drizzle with about 1⁄4 cup of the agave nectar. Repeat this layering until all of the ingredients are used and the phyllo is the finishing layer. Press down on the baklava using a sheet of plastic wrap so that it doesn’t stick to your hands, and then refrigerate for 30 minutes. Using a sharp knife, lightly score the phyllo into square- or diamond-shaped pieces approximately 1 inch across so that when it is baked it will be easier to cut. Combine the remaining 3⁄4 cup agave nectar and the rose water and drizzle the baklava with 1⁄2 cup of the mixture. Bake in the oven until golden and crisp, about 20 minutes. Cool, cut, and serve. If desired, drizzle additional syrup on top. *Chef’s note: Although it is extra work to make clarified butter, it is important to use clarified butter in this recipe so that the dough doesn’t get soggy from the milk solids. Melt 11⁄4 cups unsalted butter over medium heat and allow the butter to come to a gentle simmer. Soon the milk solids will start to float to the top of the butter. Scoop off as much of the milk solids as possible so that you are just left with the butterfat. Allow the butter to cool to room temperature before using. Source: The CIA’s Mediterranean Cooking
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Issue 15
TASTE 55