Delicious Homemade Pistachio Baklava
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A decadent Greek dessert that is surprisingly easy to make!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Greek
Serves: 10-12
Ingredients
  • 8 oz. pistachios (or, 4oz. pistachios + 4oz. walnuts), toasted & chopped
  • 2 TBSPS. sugar
  • 2 TBSPS. plain breadcrumbs
  • ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. ground cloves
  • 1 box filo dough, #4, 12”x17” (thawed), at room temperature
  • 6 oz. butter, melted
  • For the honey syrup:
  • 1 cups sugar
  • 1 cups water
  • ½ cinnamon stick (optional)
  • 3 - 1” strips of orange peel
  • ¼ cup honey
Instructions
  1. For the nut filling: Place the toasted pistachios on a cutting board and chop them until they are a medium-fine consistency. You can also use a food processor for this step, by pulsing the mixture, making sure not to over-process them or they will become a paste. If you are using walnuts too, repeat the same process with the walnuts, separately. Place the chopped nuts in a bowl and combine them with the sugar, breadcrumbs, cinnamon and cloves.
  2. For the honey syrup: in a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water, cinnamon stick and orange peels and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the honey and boil for 3-4 minutes so the syrup thickens slightly. Remove from heat and set aside to let cool. You can refrigerate the cooled syrup in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
  4. Start assembling the baklava: unwrap and unroll the filo. Remove 10 sheets of filo from the roll. Wrap well the rest in its package and return to the refrigerator. Place the stack of ten sheets on a large cutting board, and, using the bottom of an 8” cake pan as a guide, cut the sheets of filo into two stacks of 10 - 8” rounds (see photo). You should have a total of 20 filo rounds. Stack the second stack of filo on top of the first stack and cover with plastic wrap and a towel.
  5. Start layering: brush the bottom and the sides of the pan with some melted butter. Place one filo sheet in the bottom of the pan and brush it with some butter. Repeat with 7 more filo sheets, placing each one in the pan and making sure to butter each layer. Sprinkle ⅓ cup of the nut mixture evenly over this bottom stack of eight sheets . Place the next 2 buttered filo rounds ontop of the nut mixture and sprinkle another ⅓ cup of the nuts on top of this layer of two. Repeat with two more sheets of buttered filo and the last ⅓ cup of the nuts. Top with the final 8 sheets of filo. There should be about 20 filo sheets in total, depending on the thickness of the filo and the brand you are using.
  6. Score: using a small, sharp, serrated knife with a pointed tip, cut the baklava into small, diamond-shaped pieces, like in the photo. The knife should slice almost all the way to the bottom of the baklava.
  7. Bake: place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake uncovered, for 35-40 minutes or, until the top layer of filo is light golden and crisp. Every oven is different, so the cooking time may vary.
  8. Remove from the oven: the minute you take the baklava out of the oven, pour the cooled orange-honey syrup slowly and evenly over the top of the baklava and especially over the cut lines (the syrup will sizzle). The syrup will all be absorbed as it cools down. Optional: sprinkle the center of each diamond with some very finely chopped pistachios, immediately after adding the syrup.
  9. Rest: let the baklava sit uncovered for at least 4 hours before serving.
Notes
-- In order for the (room temperature) syrup to be absorbed properly, it is important to be poured over the hot baklava just as it comes out of the oven.
-- Once cooled completely, store the baklava at room temperature to preserve its crispness, covered loosely, preferable in a cool room, for 3-4 days. After that time, place any leftover baklava in an airtight container and refrigerate. It might loose some of its crispiness but it will still be delicious!
Recipe by Marilena's Kitchen at https://marilenaskitchen.com/homemade-pistachio-baklava/