Baklava
|
|
Many_types_of_baclava.jpg
Baklava is a popular sweet pastry in Albanian, Arab, Middle Eastern, Persian, Turkish and Greek cuisines with a high sugar content, making it extremely rich.
It is widely believed that the Assyrians in the 8th century BC created baklava. The Greek seamen and merchants traveling east soon discovered the delights of Baklava. It delighted their taste buds, so they brought the recipe to the Ottoman Empire where chefs in the Sultan's palaces perfected the recipe.
Baklava is a complex, layered dessert made with paper thin sheets of phyllo (filo) dough which have been buttered and layered in a rectangular baking dish, or layered and rolled into a log. Ground and finely chopped walnuts or pistachios are layered between the sheets of pastry, which are baked and soaked in a solution of sugar and either lemon juice or honey and spices with rosewater. As with any food, there are regional variations in the recipe with the most common ones being the syrup recipe and whether or not it contains honey.
If layering in a baking dish, layer and butter a dozen phyllo sheets, then top with a mixture of ground nuts and a little sugar (and cinnamon, for variation, if desired). Walnuts or pistachios are used most often sometimes with a combination of almonds, and pecans. After the nut mixture has been spread evenly across the phyllo, layer and butter the remaining dozen phyllo sheets. Before baking, cut baklava with a sharp knife into diamonds (traditional in Lebanese cuisine) or squares.
If rolling, butter 5 individual sheets of phyllo, then place nut mixture along 1 side of the phyllo and proceed to roll up like a tight log. Once rolled, cut the log on the diagonal into about 12 to 13 pieces. Do not cut all the way through until after the baklava is baked. For easier handling, the logs can be frozen for 10 to 15 minutes to firm them up.
Whether using the pan or rolled technique, the procedure is the same after the baklava is baked. Pour on the syrup (equal parts sugar and water boiled to a syrup consistency and then mixed with either a small amount of lemon juice or honey, cinnamon and cloves). Stays fresh and freezes well.
External links
- [1] (http://bosanski-kuhar.8m.com/baklava.jpg)(photo; Bosnian baklava)
- [2] (http://www.vitalita.com/foodpicts/baklava.jpg)(photo; Bosnian baklava)sq:Bakllava
![[1]](http://bosanski-kuhar.8m.com/baklava.jpg){kind=link}
![[2]](http://www.vitalita.com/foodpicts/baklava.jpg){kind=link}