Previous entry:
The Holy Grail

Next Entry:
Inside the Mind of a Celebrity

Home:
One Truth For All

Archives

• May 2008
• April 2008
• March 2008
• February 2008
• December 2007
• November 2007
• October 2007
• September 2007
• August 2007
• July 2007
• May 2007
• April 2007
• March 2007
• February 2007
• December 2006
• November 2006
• October 2006
• September 2006
• August 2006
• July 2006
• June 2006
• May 2006
• April 2006
• March 2006
• February 2006
• January 2006
• December 2005
• November 2005
• October 2005
• September 2005
• August 2005
• July 2005
• June 2005
• May 2005
• April 2005
• March 2005
• February 2005
• January 2005
• December 2004
• November 2004
• October 2004
• September 2004
• August 2004
• July 2004
• June 2004
• May 2004
• April 2004
• March 2004
• February 2004
• January 2004
• December 1969

May 17, 2004

A Basic Recipe for Baklava

There are as many recipes for baklava as there are Mediterranean women. I don't make my mother's recipe for baklava because I never remember to ask her for it when I don't need to make some Right Now, but then again, I think I could make baklava blindfolded, having watched my mother make it about ten thousand times when I was a child. It's not very complicated, and the basic formula will accept a lot of fiddling and tweaking to taste. Here's my recipe:

Ayse's Non-Specific Baklava

Make a filling of chopped nuts, any spices you like, any flavourings you like (rose water or orange flower water, or vanilla if you're a heathen), and a sweetener (honey, or just white sugar) to taste. Don't ask me about proportions; you can figure that out on your own. Make as much as you like to have. I usually make about 2 cups.

Make a syrup from sweetener (honey or sugar are good bets), water, and, if you like, a flavouring (like rose water or orange flower water). Set it aside to cool.

You can make your own fillo, but, good heavens, why would you do that? Just buy it at the store like a civilized person. You don't want to be rolling out dough to 1mm thick to make the middle eastern equivalent of brownies.

Lay down about half a pound of fillo sheets interleaved with butter. Some people use margerine, but they are infidels. Fillo is easy. Don't get all worked up about the sheets sticking or tearing; that is inevitable. If you ever make a baklava and none of the fillo sticks or tears, throw it away uneaten; it is a cursed bakalava that will bring you bad luck, I assure you.

On top of the layer of fillo, spread out your filling. Then lay down another half pound of the fillo/butter thing.

The top sheet will tear into a million pieces. It always does. Relax. Fillo flakes like a bitch, so nobody will notice that gigantic tear.

Before you bake that sucker, slice it. You may think you can wait, but I assure you that you will be in a world of hurt if you wait to slice until the fillo has crisped up. Just slice it now.

Bake in a warm oven until done. Explicit enough for you? Roughly 350F for maybe 45 minutes. However long it takes to get all nice and golden brown on top, the way it's supposed to look.

Take it out, let it cool a bit so you don't burn your hands and say things you ought not to say in the presence of food, then reslice it (it will need it) and pour the syrup you made over the top. Let it cool completely and then cover it and let it sit for at least 12 hours; 24 would be better. Then you can serve it at room temperature with coffee or tea or whatever you like to drink with desserts.

Posted by ayse on 05/17/04 at 4:55 PM