Sarah Kallail: Baklawa

November 27, 2007

Here's a recipe from me! It's for Baklawa (or Baklava). A holiday staple for our Lebanese family.

Syrup

4 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 TBSP + 1 tsp. lemon juice

Boil sugar and water until the mixture is of a string consistency. Add the lemon juice during the last part of boiling. *Prepare syrup at least one day in advance..Keep covered, don't refrigerate.

Nut Mixture

6 cups ground walnuts or pecans
1/2 cup sugar
1 TBSP lemon juice
2 tsp. vanilla
Mix all ingredients together.

Baklawa

2 lbs Filo dough
6 cups ground pecans or walnuts
Rendered butter **

Syrup

**To render butter, put 2 pounds in a heavy pan and heat over low heat until the butter turns clear. Pour the clear liquid into a container and leave the residue in the pan.

Use 17 1/2" x 12: baking sheet with raised edges. Spread the bottom of the pan with the melted rendered butter. Lay a sheet of filo dough on the bottom of the pan and spread lightly with the rendered butter. Continue using one sheet of dough and spreading with the rendered butter until a pound of dough is used. Spread nut mixture evenly over the dough. Then proceed with the second pound of dough in the same manner as the first. With a sharp knife, cut into diamond shapes. Bake the baklawa on the middle oven rack at 300 degrees for approximately an hour until golden brown. The cooking time may vary 10-15 minutes. After removing the tray from the oven immdiately pour 3 cups of the syrup over the baklawa.

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