Cyser Baklava Recipes

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and cloves; set aside. Brush a 15x10x1-in. baking pan with some of the butter. Unroll 1 package phyllo dough; cut stack into a 10-1/2x9-in. rectangle. Repeat with remaining phyllo. Discard scraps., Line bottom of prepared pan with 2 sheets of phyllo dough (sheets will overlap slightly). Brush with butter. Repeat layers 14 times. (Keep dough covered with a damp towel until ready to use to prevent it from drying out.) , Spread with 2 cups walnut mixture. Top with 5 layers of phyllo dough, brushing with butter between each sheet. Spread with remaining walnut mixture. Top with 1 layer of phyllo dough; brush with butter. Repeat 14 times. Cut into 2-1/2-in. squares; cut each square in half diagonally. Brush remaining butter over top. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown., In a large saucepan, bring syrup ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes. Strain and discard zest; cool to lukewarm. Pour syrup over warm baklava.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.
• Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.
• Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
• Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Finely chop the nuts in a food processor or coffee grinder. Transfer nuts to a bowl and mix in brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and cloves.
• Brush a 13 by 9-inch baking pan with melted butter and set aside. Cut a piece of cardboard into a 13 by 9-inch rectangle. Unroll the phyllo dough and lay the sheets flat on a work surface. Set the cardboard template on the stack of phyllo and trim the excess so they fit the pan. Keep the pastry covered with a damp, not wet, towel as you work to prevent drying out.
• To build the baklava, you will alternate 3 layers of dough with 2 layers of nuts. Start with a stable base of 8 sheets on the bottom, brushing each with melted butter. Spread 1/2 the nut mixture evenly over the stacked sheets. Cover with 4 sheets of phyllo, painting each with melted butter, then sprinkle again with remaining nut mixture. Top the last layer of nuts with 8 layers of phyllo as you did for the bottom. Drizzle any remaining butter over top.
• If you have time, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes so the butter will set and make the baklava easier to cut. Using a sharp knife, make 5 cuts across lengthwise, then cut diagonally to form diamonds. Baklava is more difficult to cut after it is cooked because the pastry becomes so flaky. Bake for about 40 minutes until golden and flaky. If the top browns too quickly during baking, tent with foil.
• To make the syrup: combine the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes until thickened. Remove the orange peel, cinnamon stick, and whole clove; set aside to cool.
• Remove an end piece of the baklava and tilt the pan to allow the butter to collect in the corner. Spoon out the excess and discard. With the pan flat, pour the syrup evenly over the hot baklava. Allow to stand for several hours before serving.

Steps:

• Warm 3/4 cup wine in saucepan and remove from heat
• Add raisins and soak for 2 - 4 hours
• Put apricots in saucepan and cover with water
• Bring to boil and simmer for 40-45 minutes till very tender
• Drain and reserve liquid if any left
• Process apricots in food processor or mash till smooth
• Put in large bowl
• Add drained raisins, reserving the wine
• Mix in white sugar, cinnamon, 1/2 tsp wine (from the raisins), vanilla, brown sugar
• Allow to cool
• Mix in cashews
• Butter a 13X9X2 baking pan
• Open filo sheets and cut to size of pan
• Process one at a time keeping the rest covered
• Brush butter on top of one sheet and place in pan
• Repeat with 10 sheets one at a time and layer them in pan
• Cover last sheet with apricot mixture
• Cover with the next 10 filo sheets buttering each one as before
• Slice through the top layers diagonally to create diamonds
• Bake at 350 for 40 - 45 minutes till brown on top
• Put on rack to cool before adding syrup
• SYRUP
• In saucepan mix honey, water, nectar (reserved from apricots), sugar, vanilla and wine (from the raisins)
• Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes
• Allow to cool completely
• Drizzle on Baklava
• Cover and cool for several hours
• Best if cooled overnight

Steps:

• Take a sheet of filo dough, wide end facing you, and place it on your work surface.
• Brush with butter or margarine.
• Repeat with 5 more sheets, brushing each one with the butter/marg.
• Spread half the apple pie filling on the layered sheets, leaving a 1/2 inch margin all around.
• Sprinkle with half the almonds.
• Sprinkle with a little bit of cinnamon.
• Fold in the short ends of the sheets on the sides, then carefully roll up the dough, starting with the wide end near you.
• Brush the seam with butter, and place on a baking sheet, and brush all over with butter.
• Make sure you brush the ends bits as well.
• Repeat with the remaining 6 sheets, pie filling, almonds and cinnamon.
• Roll up and place on the baking sheet about 2 inches away from the first roll.
• Brush generously with butter.
• Cut the roll diagonally into about 10-12 slices.
• You don't have to cut all the way through, but make sure that there are distinct slices.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 15 minutes.
• Turn the heat down to 250 degrees F, and bake for another 1 hour.
• While the pastry is baking, prepare the syrup.
• Place the sugar, water, honey and cinnamon in a pot that is twice the volume of the syrup ingredients.
• Bring to a boil, and boil away for about 5 minutes.
• Watch out, it can boil up fast.
• Remove the pastry from the oven and pour half of the syrup over the 2 rolls.
• Wait about 10 minutes for the pastry to absorb the syrup, then pour the rest.
• You may have to baste a bit.
• Let cool until you can touch the pastry without burning yourself.
• Cut the slices the rest of the way through.
• Serve, making sure there's lots of napkins for the sticky fingers.

Steps:

• Combine sugar, water, cinnamon, cloves and honey.
• 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 and mix in brandy.
• Cool completely.
• Nut Filling:
• Toast almonds and walnuts and finely chop in processor.
• Transfer to large bowl.
• Mix in cinnamon and breadcrumbs.
• Pastry:
• Butter bottom and sides of 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish.
• Unroll stacked phyllo sheets, press folds to smooth, and cut crosswise in half.
• Place 1 sheet of phyllo in bottom of prepared dish (k eep 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 the dish, it may be necessary to stagger sheets to end of dish.
• 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 3/4 cup nut mixture over.
• Top with 18 more sheets, buttering each.
• Brush top sheet generously with butter.
• Cut baklava lengthwise into thirds and make 8 diagonal cuts.
• Top each section with a whole clove. Lightly sprinkle the top with water and bake at 350 degrees in center of oven until pastry is golden brown, about 1 hour.
• Gradually pour syrup over hot baklava and cool completely.

Steps:

• Syrup:.
• Use a heavy saucepan and dissolve the sugar in the cyser over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add lemon juice.
• When all the sugar has dissolved, reduce heat to a gentle boil. Do not stir often.
• Add honey once the syrup thickens. If you use a candy thermometer (I never have) it should register 230°F A drop of syrup on a cold plate will not spread.
• It takes about 20-25 minutes. Set aside to cool (but not to get cold).
• Baklava:.
• Preheat oven to 325 f.
• Finely chop the nuts. You want them as close to a meal as you can. I use the blender or food processor.
• Combine with sugar and spices. (Not the whole cloves).
• Place 6 phyllo sheets in a well buttered 13x9 inch baking pan. I think glass works best. Butter the top sheet generously.
• Sprinkle a thin layer of the nut mixture over the phyllo. You want it even and no dough showing, but not thicker than about 1/8 inch.
• Cover with 4 more phyllo sheets and generously butter the top sheet.
• Continue alternating nut mixture and phyllo until you run out of nuts. Top with 8 phyllo sheets and generously butter the top.
• If your sheets are too big for the pan, you may trim them or fold them over.
• Score into squares or diamonds. Place a whole clove in the center of each slice. Pieces are traditionally quite small as it is a very sweet dessert.
• Bake for 30 minutes, then lower the oven to 300 and bake for another 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Pour the warm syrup over the hot baklava. Let stand several hours, at least.
• Freezes well.