Baklava

It was once common for grandmothers to make baklava from scratch, rolling out

 very thin layers of dough to assemble the pastry.

However, modern cooks in Turkey usually buy this classic dessert or snack from the bakery.

 This recipe, which uses ready-made phyllo dough, is relatively easy to make.

A day before making baklava, move the frozen phyllo dough to the refrigerator to

give it plenty of time to thaw completely.

Syrup:

1 c. water

1 lb. sugar

1 tbsp. rose water

Pastry:

olive oil to brush on sheet of

aluminum foil in baking dish

1 16-oz. package phyllo dough,

thawed*

1 c. butter (2 sticks), melted

1/4 c. plus o c. walnuts, pistachios,

or almonds, chopped fine

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. To make syrup, combine water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a

boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add rose water, stir,

and set aside.

3. Line a square baking dish (9_9) with a sheet of aluminum foil. Use

a pastry brush to apply olive oil to foil lining. Lay one sheet of phyllo

dough on top of foil and brush it with a thin coating of melted butter.**

4. Add next layer of phyllo dough. Continue adding layers and

brushing each with butter until you’ve assembled five layers.

5. Sprinkle fifth layer with o cup chopped nuts.

6. Add five more layers of phyllo, brushing each with butter.

7. Sprinkle tenth layer with remaining nuts.

8. Add five more layers of phyllo dough, brushing each with butter.

9. Use a sharp knife to cut baklava into 1-inch squares. Trim any

excess dough that may overlap sides of pan.

10. Bake baklava for 30 to 40 minutes, or until top is golden brown.

11. Remove from oven and brush top with butter.

12. Slowly pour rose water syrup evenly over squares. Allow to cool

before serving. Store leftover baklava at room temperature.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Baking time: 40 minutes

Serves 8

*Thaw frozen phyllo dough in its original package for 24 hours in the

refrigerator. Do not unwrap phyllo until you are ready to use it. Make sure your

work area is cleared, your melted butter and pastry brush are ready, and your

filling is prepared.

**After removing a sheet of phyllo from the package, cover remaining sheets

tightly with either plastic wrap or a slightly damp kitchen towel (not terry

cloth). Leftover phyllo will stay fresh in the refrigerator for one week if

covered well with plastic wrap.