From: sborders@nyx.cs.du.edu (Scott Borders)
Subject: RECIPE:  Baklava (and a question)
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix @ U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Sat, 17 Oct 92 04:34:44 GMT

I made baklava last week using the recipe out of this month's issue of
"Bon Appetit" magazine.  I took it to the office - it got rave reviews.
This is an almond-walnut pastry, and is pretty easy to make.  A lot
of assembly time, but otherwise pretty simple.

SYRUP:
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2 cups sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 cups water
3 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon brandy

Combine sugar, water, honey, cinnamon, and cloves in heavy medium saucepan.
Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves.  Increase heat and boil gently
until reduced to 2 1/2 cups, about 10 minutes.  Strain into bowl.  Mix in
brandy.  Cool completely.


NUT FILLING:
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1 3/4 cups sliced almonds (about 7 ounces), lightly toasted
1 3/4 cups walnuts (about 7 ounces), lightly toasted
1/2 cup fine dry white bread crumbs
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Finely chop almonds and walnuts in processor.  Transfer to large bowl.
Mix in breadcrumbs and cinnamon.

PASTRY:
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2 1-pound packages fresh phyllo pastry sheets or frozen, thawed

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, lukewarm

Whole cloves

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 F.  Butter bottom 
and sides of 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish.  Unroll stacked phyllo sheets 
on work surface.  Press on folds to smooth.  Using heavy sharp knife, 
cut stacked sheets crosswise in half.

Place 1 sheet of phyllo in bottom of prepared dish (keep remaining sheets 
covered with plastic wrap and damp towel to prevent drying).  Because many
brands of phyllo are not long enough to touch both ends of dish, it may be 
necessary to stagger sheets so that 1 sheet touches one end of dish and 
next sheet touches opposite end.

Brush first sheet with melted butter.  Top with second phyllo sheet.  Brush
with melted butter.  Repeat, using 12 more sheets, buttering each sheet.  
Sprinkle 3/4 cup nut mixture over.

Cover with 4 more sheets, buttering each.  Sprinkle 3/4 cup nut mixture 
over.  Cover with 4 more sheets, buttering each.  Sprinkle 3/4 cup nut 
mixture over.  Cover with 4 more sheets, buttering each.  Sprinkle 3/4 
cup nut mixture over.  Cover with 4 more sheets, buttering each.  
Sprinkle remaining nut mixture over.

Top with 18 more sheets, buttering each (reserve remaining phyllo sheets
for another use).  Brush top sheet generously with butter.

Using long sharp knife, cut baklava lengthwise into thirds.  To form diamond 
shapes, make 8 diagonal cuts, spacing evenly and forming about 15 diamonds
(there will be some smaller pieces around edges of dish).  Press 1 clove
into center of each diamond.

Lightly sprinkle top of baklava with cold water.  Bake until pastry is 
golden brown, about 1 hour.  Remove baklava from oven and set on work 
surface.

Gradually pour syrup evenly over hot baklava.  Transfer to rack and
cool completely in baking dish.  (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.  Cover
with foil and let stand at room temperature.)  To serve, transfer
baklava pices to platter, using metal spatula as aid.

*** Reprinted without permission from "Bon Appetit".  Sure, I probably
    infringed on someone's copyright, but they just got some free 
    advertisement ;-).


NOTES:
-----
I used only one box of Athen's Foods frozen phyllo dough and ended up only 
2 or 3 sheets shy of what the recipe called for.  I didn't want to open
the other box unnecessarily, so I omitted the final few sheets.  The recipe
calls for about 7 ounces each of walnuts and almonds.  Unfortunately,
nuts tend to come in 6 ounce packages.  I increased the breadcrumbs
slightly to compensate.  Depending on how generously you paint each
sheet with butter, you may need slightly more than the 2 1/2 sticks
called for.

Rather than cutting the pastry into diamond shapes and wasting the pieces
around the edges, I cut it into 24 pieces (3 lengthwise, 8 crosswise).
The pieces were still pretty good sized, and only the corners pieces were
misshaped (but they tasted great).

I think apples would make a nice addition to this recipe, given the 
honey and cinnamon.  Maybe on top of (or instead of) one or more of
the nut mixture layers?  I could use some suggestions here.  Will the
apples get soft and apple pie-like?  What type of apples should I use?
Do they need to be cooked *before* adding them to the baklava?
If you have suggestions, please e-mail or post them soon.  I would like
to make this recipe again Sunday evening.

                                 Enjoy!
                                 Scott

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