Lebanese Baklava
Lebanese Baklawa is crafted with delicate layers of buttery, flaky phyllo pastry sheets, generously filled with crushed premium pistachios. Experience the irresistible flavors as the pastry is soaked in a fragrant homemade sugar syrup infused with orange blossom water and a touch of luxurious saffron. This traditionally rich Middle Eastern dessert is an elegant treat for any celebration or if you're craving something truly special. Discover the secrets to making it perfectly crisp, with a balance of sweetness and floral-citrus notes!
Equipment
- baking dish 8" x 8"
- saucepot
- Oven
Ingredients
For the syrup:
- ¾ cup water
- ¾ cup cane sugar
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- a pinch saffron
For the pastry:
- 10 sheets phyllo sheets large
- 8 tbsp clarified butter melted
- 1 cup pistachios coarsely ground
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients.
Prepare the syrup:
- Bring the syrup ingredients (except saffron) to a rolling boil. Simmer the syrup for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and add saffron. Set it aside to cool down.
Prepare the pastry:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Remove the phyllo pastry sheets from the package. Place the sheets on a rolling board and use a sharp knife or scissors to cut them into quarters. (Please ensure that the cut sheets fit neatly into the baking dish.) Cover the sheets with a damp kitchen towel to prevent them from drying and breaking. Remove one sheet at a time, place it in the baking dish, and brush it with some melted clarified butter. Repeat this step until half the sheets are used.
- Spread the ground pistachios evenly on top. Repeat the previous step until the remaining sheets are used. Pour the leftover melted clarified butter on top of the last sheet.
- Use a sharp knife to cut through the stack of phyllo pastry sheets into 16 squares or diamonds.
- Bake the cut baklawa for 50-52 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven. Pour the cooled syrup over the hot baklawa. Let it rest for 1-2 hours.
- Serve the Lebanese Baklawa for dessert with hot Turkish coffee.
Notes
1. To prevent crystallization of the sugar syrup, add the lemon juice while simmering the syrup.
2. I have used a ratio of 1:1 sugar (1 cup) and water (1 cup) for the syrup for this dessert, as it is traditionally meant to be less sweet. If you like it sweeter, use 1.5 parts sugar to 1 part water, then boil the syrup for 3-4 minutes.
3. The phyllo sheets must be placed on a rolling board covered with a damp kitchen towel to prevent the sheets from drying, cracking, and/or breaking.
4. I used a sharp knife to pre-cut the Lebanese Baklawa down to the bottom of the tray. This step will make serving easier without torn edges. Use your palm to hold down the top sheet of the pastry to make even cuts. A neatly cut slice of Lebanese Baklawa will be easy to take apart after baking and will look presentable when served.
5. I use cooled sugar syrup on the hot Baklawa. Please allow the dessert to cool completely for an hour before re-cutting and serving it.
6. Brush with clarified butter between each sheet to make this crispy, flaky, and crunchy.
Nutrition
Calories: 181kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 2gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 58mgPotassium: 88mgFiber: 1gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 32IUVitamin C: 0.5mgCalcium: 10mgIron: 1mg
