Baklava is a very famous Turkish dessert made up of filo pastry. It is filled with crushed nuts and baked to perfection. The crispy baklava is then sweetened by pouring some flavoured sugar syrup over it.
Making filo pastry is a bit complex and making baklava from scratch can be quite intimidating for many. Even I can’t think of making filo sheets from scratch, but if you are using store bought filo sheets then making this yummiest dessert is a child’s play. I am all about simplicity so I am using store bought filo sheets to make this dessert. The best thing about baklava is you can make this ahead of time. It tastes even better the next day and you can eat throughout the week as well. It stays good in the refrigerator for at least a week. So if you have guest coming over then plan and make this dessert ahead of time and you are all sorted!
INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:
- 1 packet filo sheets ( pack of 7 sheets)
- 3 cups crushed nuts ( I used 1 cup pistachios, 1 cup walnuts and 1 cup almonds)
- 2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1.5 to 2 cup of melted butter
- 1.5 cup sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 sticks of cinnamon, 2 cloves and 2 cardamom
- 1 cup water
MAKING THE NUT MIXTURE
Take 3 cups of nuts , it can be any nuts of your choice. You can just use 3 cups of single nut or go for 3 different kinds of nuts. The choice is yours, but make sure whichever nut you are using you have enough of that. Add the nuts into a food processor along with 2 tsp cinnamon powder and crush them for a couple of minutes. Tadaa! The nut mixture is ready.
MAKING THE SUGAR SYRUP
To make sugar syrup add 1.5 cups of sugar in a pan. You will also need to add lemon juice, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves for extra flavour. Add 1 to 1.5 cups of water and boil for 8 to 10 minutes. The sugar syrup is ready, allow it to cool down. By the time the sugar syrup cools down we will assemble and bake baklava.
ASSEMBLING AND BAKING BAKLAVA
Cut each filo pastry into half and then divide equal number of filo sheets for the top and bottom layer. Take a baking dish and layer half of the filo pastries at the bottom of the baking dish. Now add all of the nut mixture on top of the filo pastry and spread across uniformly. Layer the rest of the filo pastries on top of the nut mixture. Pour 1.5 cups of melted butter all over the baking dish. Bake at 175 Degree Celsius for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the top layer of the filo pastry is golden and crispy.
SWEETENING THE BAKLAVA
Once the baklava is out of the oven we will sweeten it by pouring the cooled sugar syrup all over the baking dish. Let it rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving. Garnish it by sprinkling some more crushed nuts on top and enjoy!
MORE RAMADAN RECIPES :
BAKLAVA
Baklava is a very famous Turkish dessert made up of filo pastry. It is filled with crushed nuts and baked to perfection. The crispy baklava is then sweetened by pouring some flavoured sugar syrup over it. Making filo pastry is a bit complex and making baklava from scratch can be quite intimidating for many. Even I can't think of making filo sheets from scratch, but if you are using store bought filo sheets then making this yummiest dessert is a child's play. I am all about simplicity so I am using store bought filo sheets to make this dessert. The best thing about baklava is it's a make ahead dessert so you can make it ahead of time. It tastes even better the next day and you can eat throughout the week as well. It stays good in the refrigerator for at least a week. So if you have guest coming over then plan and make this dessert ahead of time and you are all sorted!
Ingredients
- 1 packet filo sheets ( pack of 7 sheets)
- 3 cups crushed nuts ( I used 1 cup pistachios, 1 cup walnuts and 1 cup almonds)
- 2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1.5 to 2 cup of melted butter
- 1.5 cup sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 2 sticks of cinnamon, 2 cloves and 2 cardamom
- 1 cup water
Instructions
Add 3 to 4 cups of nuts ( pistachios, walnuts etc) in a food processor. Add 2 tsp cinnamon powder and crush the nuts. The nut mixture is ready.
To make sugar syrup add 1.5 cups of sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves in a pan. Add 1 to 1.5 cups of water and boil for 8 to 10 minutes. The sugar syrup is ready, allow it to cool down.
Take ready made filo sheets cut them into half and divide them into two equal portions( Eg: 5 to 6 sheets for the bottom layer and 5-6 sheets for the top). Layer half of the filo pastry sheets at the bottom of the baking dish. Add all of the nut mixture on top of the filo pastry sheets and spread across uniformly. Layer the rest of the filo sheets on top of the nut mixture. Pour 1.5 cups of melted butter all over the baking dish. Bake at 175 Degree Celsius for about 30 to 40 minutes or until the top layer of the filo pastry is golden and crispy.
Once the baklava is out of the oven pour the cooled sugar syrup all over it and let it rest for 30 minutes to 1 hour and then all you have to do is enjoy!
