Description
Sweet holiday magic meets Mediterranean tradition in this Christmas Baklava, a festive dessert layering crisp phyllo, rich nuts, and aromatic spices. Delicate pastry sheets and warm cinnamon promise celebration and comfort for winter gatherings.
Ingredients
Scale
Nuts and Spices:
- 2 cups (200 g / 7 ounces) mixed nuts (walnuts, pistachios, and almonds), finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Pastry and Sweeteners:
- 1 package (16 ounces / 450 grams) phyllo dough, thawed
- 1 cup (225 grams / 8 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup (50 grams / 1.8 ounces) granulated sugar
Syrup Ingredients:
- 1 cup (240 milliliters / 8 fluid ounces) water
- 1 cup (200 grams / 7 ounces) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (180 milliliters / 6 fluid ounces) honey
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 whole cloves
- 1 orange peel (zest, removed in large strips)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Garnish:
- Chopped pistachios or walnuts
- Edible gold leaf (optional, for a festive touch)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175C (350F) and meticulously butter a 9×13-inch baking dish, ensuring complete coverage to prevent sticking.
- Create a fragrant nut mixture by blending chopped nuts with sugar, cinnamon, and cloves in a mixing bowl, allowing the spices to infuse the dry ingredients.
- Carefully layer phyllo sheets into the prepared dish, delicately brushing each translucent sheet with melted butter to create a gossamer-like texture.
- Alternate between phyllo layers and nut mixture, building a stratified landscape of crisp pastry and aromatic filling. Aim for precision with each placement, ensuring even distribution.
- Craft decorative geometric patterns by scoring the assembled pastry with a razor-sharp knife, creating diamond or square shapes that will guide syrup absorption.
- Slide the prepared baklava into the heated oven, monitoring its transformation to a golden-brown perfection over 40-50 minutes.
- Simultaneously craft a luxurious syrup by simmering water, sugar, honey, cinnamon stick, cloves, and orange peel. Allow the mixture to reduce and develop deep, complex flavors.
- Remove the syrup from heat, introducing vanilla extract to enhance its aromatic profile. Let it cool slightly to ensure optimal absorption.
- Immediately after removing the baklava from the oven, drench the hot pastry with the prepared syrup, ensuring every cut and crevice becomes saturated.
- Allow the dessert to rest at room temperature for several hours, permitting the syrup to permeate each delicate layer completely.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of finely chopped pistachios and optional edible gold leaf for a festive, elegant presentation.
- Serve at room temperature, celebrating the intricate layers and rich, honeyed essence of this traditional holiday delicacy.
Notes
- Aim for ultra-thin, delicate phyllo layers by brushing each sheet gently with melted butter, ensuring they don’t tear or become soggy.
- Keep phyllo dough covered with a damp towel while working to prevent drying out and cracking, which can ruin the texture.
- Allow the baklava to rest overnight for maximum syrup absorption, creating a perfectly moist and decadent dessert that melts in your mouth.
- For gluten-free alternatives, swap traditional phyllo with thin rice paper or gluten-free pastry sheets, maintaining the crispy, layered structure.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 295
- Sugar: 19 g
- Sodium: 30 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg