Baklava Recipe variations
I first ate Baklava while travelling in Turkey 15 years ago. Baklava is a pastry that primarily consists of many thin layers of unleavened dough known as filo dough. It also contains chopped nuts and honey, along with some spices. There are many variations to a Baklava recipe depending on the region and even each family have their secret Baklava recipe. I will share with you a quick easy Baklava recipe in this post.
I am usually vary of eating sweets abroad except in India because they mostly have eggs or gelatin in them. During our stay in this wonderful hotel in Turkey for a week we used to skip the desserts. Once one of the waiters asked why we had no desserts. He was very kind to find out about the sweets we could eat and he brought us Baklava. I have had Baklava a couple of times since. For a Christmas party some time back, I was on the look out for an easy baklava recipe. I first thought it was a complicated recipe. But after watching a BBC bake off contest, I wanted to try it out myself. Many variations of Baklava recipe can be found here https://www.bbc.com/food/recipes
What is Baklava ?
Baklava is a pastry that primarily consists of many thin layers of unleavened dough known as filo dough. It also contains chopped nuts and honey, along with some spices. Baklava originates from the Mediterranean and Middle East, although it’s popular in many other parts of the world. Baklava is generally high in fat and sugar, like other pastries. Due to the high fat and sugar content, its best to eat on rare occasions. Which is why I make it once a year either for Christmas or New year.
Quick Easy Baklava Recipe
This is a very easy and simple version of the classic dessert from the Middle East and Eastern Europe. I used store bought filo pastry as making filo pastry from scratch is very tricky and very time consuming to make.
I had a couple of cookbooks with easy to follow Baklava recipes, but the ingredients were not exactly fitting to what I have access to. Filo pastry is easily available in the Balkan or Turkish stores here in Switzerland. Since, the past few years the bigger supermarkets like Coop also stocks filo pastry in the international food aisle. I have tweaked the sugar measurements to make it less sweet and omitted the honey altogether.
Mixed nuts Baklava Recipe
The original Turkish or Greek Baklava recipe calls for Pistachio nuts. The unsalted Pistachio nuts costs a lot in Switzerland as its not locally grown. What we have in abundance is walnuts. So I make it with a mixture of both walnuts and pistachio nuts. I use 30% pistachio nuts and the remaining I used walnuts.
The nuts needs to be chopped finely. Instead of doing this laborious process by hand I use my Swiss made Zyliss hand grater. This hand grater chops quickly grates the nuts finely when I use the bigger grater attachment. The nuts molecular structure will also not be too much altered by heat. Which would be the case if I blitzed the whole thing with the food processor. Plus the quantity is so little for the food processor. I used this grater in my Rosti recipe too.
Ingredients needed for Quick and Easy Baklava
450 g of ready- made filo pastry
250 g of unsalter butter, melted
250 g of mixture of walnuts and pistachios chopped or blitzed
1 tbsp of pistachio nuts for the garnish
For the syrup
350 g caster sugar
250 ml water
juice of 1/2 lemon
Tools you will need
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Ingredients
- 450 g of ready- made filo pastry
- 250 g of unsalter butter, melted
- 250 g of mixture of walnuts and pistachios chopped or blitzed
- 1 tbsp of pistachio nuts for the garnish
- For the syrup
- 350 g caster sugar
- 250 ml water
- juice of 1/2 lemon
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180 deg. centigrade. Brush a deep rectangular baking dish with the melted butter.
- Chop the nuts finely by hand or blitz them in a food processor.
- Remove the filo pastry from the wrapping and cover with a wet cloth to avoid it drying out.
- Place a sheet of the filo pastry in the bottom of the baking dish and brush with melted butter, folding or cutting the pastry to fit the dish. Place another sheet of the pastry on top and brush the surface with the melted butter.
- Repeat this process until you have used half of the pastry sheets. Add the chopped nuts in a single layer.
- Layer the remaining filo pastry on top, brushing each layer with the melted butter.
- Once the top sheet is brushed with the melted butter, cut through the layers into diamond shapes using a sharp knife.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the baklava is golden and crisp. Cool it completely before adding the syrup.
- To make the syrup, mix in the sugar, water and lemon juice into a pan and heat gently, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
- Bring to a simmer and simmer for 15 minutes. Pour the hot syrup over the cooled baklava. Leave it to cool before cutting and serving. Garnish with the remaining pistachio nuts for decoration.
Notes
Variations:
You can flavor with orange flower water, cardamon or rose water too. Just one of the flavors of your choice.
When the sugar syrup is cooled to 40 deg, you could add 1 tablespoon of honey to it.
Did You Make This Recipe?
How did it go? Tag me on Instagram at @vitalfairliving.
Ingredients
- 450 g of ready- made filo pastry
- 250 g of unsalter butter, melted
- 250 g of mixture of walnuts and pistachios chopped or blitzed
- 1 tbsp of pistachio nuts for the garnish
- For the syrup
- 350 g caster sugar
- 250 ml water
- juice of 1/2 lemon
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180 deg. centigrade. Brush a deep rectangular baking dish with the melted butter.
- Chop the nuts finely by hand or blitz them in a food processor.
- Remove the filo pastry from the wrapping and cover with a wet cloth to avoid it drying out.
- Place a sheet of the filo pastry in the bottom of the baking dish and brush with melted butter, folding or cutting the pastry to fit the dish. Place another sheet of the pastry on top and brush the surface with the melted butter.
- Repeat this process until you have used half of the pastry sheets. Add the chopped nuts in a single layer.
- Layer the remaining filo pastry on top, brushing each layer with the melted butter.
- Once the top sheet is brushed with the melted butter, cut through the layers into diamond shapes using a sharp knife.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the baklava is golden and crisp. Cool it completely before adding the syrup.
- To make the syrup, mix in the sugar, water and lemon juice into a pan and heat gently, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
- Bring to a simmer and simmer for 15 minutes. Pour the hot syrup over the cooled baklava. Leave it to cool before cutting and serving. Garnish with the remaining pistachio nuts for decoration.
Notes
Variations: You can flavor with orange flower water, cardamon or rose water too. Just one of the flavors of your choice. When the sugar syrup is cooled to 40 deg, you could add 1 tablespoon of honey to it.
