the baklava was a great success at the party. now i just wish these pictures were a little bit bigger. if you have any questions, just ask


not going to say much except it was a lot trickier than i thought. but i made my mistakes and the next time it will flow like a 'pianola' and the results will be perfect.

here's meli's recipe, which i followed except for the size of the pan, and i added some butter plus the pam.

baklava from meli

32 servings (serving size: 1 piece)
Ingredients
Syrup:
1 1/2 cups honey
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 whole cloves
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick

Filling:
2/3 cup unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup blanched unsalted almonds, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon salt

Remaining ingredients:
Cooking spray
24 (14 x 9-inch) sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
1 tablespoon water
Preparation


To prepare syrup, combine honey, 1/2 cup water, juice, cloves, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan over low heat; stir until honey is completely dissolved (about 2 minutes). Increase heat to medium; cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 230° (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat; keep warm. Remove solids with a slotted spoon; discard.

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare filling, combine pistachios and next 6 ingredients (through salt); set aside.

Lightly coat a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Working with 1 phyllo sheet at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), place 1 phyllo sheet lengthwise in bottom of prepared pan, allowing end of sheet to extend over edges of dish; lightly coat with cooking spray. Repeat procedure with 5 phyllo sheets and cooking spray for a total of 6 layers. Sprinkle phyllo evenly with one-third of nut mixture (about 2/3 cup). Repeat procedure with phyllo, cooking spray, and nut mixture 2 more times. Top last layer of nut mixture with remaining 6 sheets phyllo, each one lightly coated with cooking spray. Lightly coat top phyllo sheet with cooking spray; press baklava gently into pan. Sprinkle baklava surface with 1 tablespoon water.

Make 3 even lengthwise cuts and 7 even crosswise cuts to form 32 portions using a sharp knife. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until the phyllo is golden brown. Remove from oven. Drizzle honey mixture evenly over baklava. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Store covered at room temperature.

first get the ingredients sorted out.




the liquid... 230 degrees f



get organized.




the pistachios don't like the grinder:





i knew this was the tricky part...




don't laugh...



cut up. you need a pretty sharp knife





that's all there is to it. 30 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees f more like 40 in my oven to get the golden color.


try it. you'll love it.