Baklava

In all fairness, I should probably start off by saying that I haven't found a direct reference to baklava in Betty Neels (I'm not saying there isn't one, just that I haven't found it). My best bet was the book Roses and Champagne...because the protagonists go to Greece. Nope. Not mentioned. The closest I could find in that book was the "sticky pudding" the couple had for afters.

The real reason I made baklava this week is that I had lots of leftover phyllo (fillo) dough from the spinach tartlets I had made a couple of days before. Being a frugal Betty, I hated to see the phyllo go to waste, so I made the only other thing I have ever used phyllo for: baklava.

I didn't want to have to go to the store, so I searched the internet for a recipe that would use what I had to hand (here's the recipe that I based mine on). Even at that, I made a substitution or two. Here's the recipe:

Baklava

Syrup:
2 cups white sugar
2 cups water
1 cup honey
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Base:
1 pound chopped pecans (if you use a whole package of phyllo, increase nuts to 1 1/2 pounds)
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup melted butter
Pam (non-stick spray)
about 3/4 of a package frozen phyllo pastry, thawed (remember, I was using what was left from the spinach tartlets)

Put all ingredients for syrup in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes, skimming any foam that is formed. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350'
In a small bowl, combine chopped nuts, 2 Tbsp sugar, ground cinnamon and cloves. Set aside.

Spray Pam on the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Put one layer of phyllo down, then spray with Pam again. Repeat until you have 7 or 8 sheets built up. Sprinkle with about 1/4 - 1/3 cup nut mixture. Cover with 3 or 4 more sheets, spraying each sheet as you go. Continue sprinkling nuts after every 3 or 4 sheets, until all but 7 or 8 sheets are used.

Use remaining sheets for the top layer, spraying each as you go. Tuck down any loose edges. Press down layers with the palms of your hands. Pour the 1/4 cup butter over the top. With a sharp knife, cut 5 strips lengthwise (about 1/2 inch deep), then cut diagonally to form diamond shaped.

Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and immediately pour syrup over baklava. Allow to cool thoroughly. Cut diamonds to go all the way through and serve.

Verdict: 19 year old Alex - "myriad layers of deliciousness". I really liked the ease of making this. I got the idea for spraying Pam between the layers from the spinach tartlet recipe. It might not be as authentic, but it beats the heck out of brushing 1 1/2 cups of melted butter on every fragile sheet of phyllo. There was too much syrup - I would only make about 3/4 of the syrup mixture for future recipes.