Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 1 and 1/4 cup water
1 and 3/4 cup sugar
1 T. lemon juice
1 lb. Phyllo Pastry
1 Cup and 3 T. unsalted butter, melted
1 and 1/2 cup pistachios, grounded (use mixer but do not grind finely, measurement is after grinding
6 T. cream
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Directions: |
Directions:Prepare the Baklava syrup: place the water and sugar in a medium size pot. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Simmer for 15 minutes and turn the heat off. Add lemon juice and place the syrup in another bowl so that it cools down quickly.
Place the block of Phyllo sheets on the counter. Cut the sheets in half (8x12 inches). Now there are two blocks of approximately 40 sheets. After cutting in half, the size of the sheets should be the same as the size of a 13x9x2 casserole dish. Keep the blocks separate as half the sheets will go below the Baklava filing and the rest above.
Brush the inside of the glass dish with the butter. Then lay down 2 sheets. Spread more butter on top and then place two more sheets on top and butter again. Continue until you finish the first block of phyllo sheets. Brush on the cream evenly on top. Spread the pistachios on the cream evenly. Then finish second block of the sheets the same way. Don't forget to brush the very top with butter.
Dip a big, sharp knife into hot water to cut the Baklava in rectangles. Cut 4 vertically and 6 horizontally to get 24 pieces of baklava. Do not cut all the way down, only cut halfway until you reach the pistachio. This will ensure only the top parts will rise when you bake it.
Preheat oven to 375º. Place the dish on the middle rack and bake for 25 minutes. At this point turn heat down to 325º while the dish is still in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes and take the baklava out. Leave it at room temperature for 10 minutes. Then using the same knife, re-cut the baklava all the way down. This part may be a little bit hard but it is worth it. With a tablespoon pour the lukewarm syrup evenly along the cut lines. Make sure not to pour it all over, only between the lines, otherwise the Baklava won't turn out well. Sprinkle some pistachios on top of each baklava. Let rest at least 4 hours before serving. The syrup should be completely absorbed. You do not need to refrigerate it, just cover loosely with aluminum foil. |
This recipe for Turkish Baklava is from