Unlike traditional Greek Baklava, this recipe uses
pistachio nuts instead of walnuts. The syrup is different too in that it
uses apricot nectar. This is more like a Lebanese style Baklava. Be sure
to keep a damp towel over the Phyllo to avoid it drying.
Preparation Time: 30 minutes plus 2 1/2 hour baking
Serving Size: about 30 diamonds
- 1 pound Phyllo dough, thawed
- 1/2 pound unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cups pistachios, ground (12 ounces)
- 3 cups sugar
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- 2 cups apricot nectar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
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Follow directions on the Phyllo dough package for thawing.
Heat oven to 275°. Melt butter and use a pastry brush to
grease a 11x16 pan. Remove the Phyllo dough from the package
and lay out flat. Cover with a damp towel for the duration
to avoid drying. Place one sheet in the bottom of the pan
and brush completely with melted butter. Repeat this step,
one sheet at a time, brushing each with butter, until half
of the total sheets remain. Spread ground nuts evenly over
the buttered sheets. Begin again to layer the sheets one at
a time, brushing with butter as before, until all sheets are
used. Pour remaining butter, if any at all, evenly over the
top. Cut through the layers in diagonal strips to form
diamond shapes. Bake for 2 1/2 hours until golden, watching
closely the last 30 minutes to avoid overbrowning. While
baking, place sugar, apricot nectar, honey and lemon juice
in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and
then lower heat and simmer until it forms a heavy syrup,
about 20-25 minutes. Keep warm.
When Baklava comes out of the oven, begin to spoon the
warm syrup over the entire pastry. Slowly continue to spoon
syrup over the pastry until it stops absorbing the syrup. It
is not necessary to use all of the syrup; some will probably
remain. Allow to sit and cool for several hours before
serving. |
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