Baklava, Baklawa.

[Hassouni]

I'm new to eGullet but I've used ChefCrash's recipe a few times and it's flawless. Some of the best Baqlawa I've had. Ya3teek il 3afiyeh ChefCrash!

[ChefCrash]

 

[gfron1]

@ChefCrash What a great idea she has! Just joking - I've been doing your method for years. A couple of thoughts. I've always used whole wheat fillo when I can find it and prefer it ten fold. Also, she said the syrup must be cold. I've never worried about that - what's the rationale?

[MelissaH]

I seem to recall a recipe (can't remember which one, sorry!) that said either the pastry had to be hot and the syrup cool, or the pastry completely cool and the syrup hot. I wonder if it has to do with not getting the phyllo layers completely sogged out?

[heidih]

I used Chef Crash's method for maybe the 4th time this holiday season. and did hot on hot - good crunch, no sog- wonderful even a week later

[Nicolai]

Syrup should be hot on hot or cold on cold.

 

Like when you wear your diving suit: Dry on dry or wet on wet..........that's until you put on weight and you need a larger size wetsuit 

[quiet1]

For cutting, could you brush the top layer with butter before cutting to keep it from drying out and stick it down a bit while you cut? Then add the rest of the butter over the top to soak in? I've never made baklava so there may be some good reason why that wouldn't work.  (I'm thinking to brush on not much butter, so it isn't super soggy or greasy as you cut, just enough to make the thin layers of filo on top less likely to dry out and shift around.)

 

My main reason for posting is one of the local Greek shops here makes a raspberry baklava that is a bit different and very nice. With all the sweetness of the syrup I can't tell what they are using for the raspberry layer, though - would it be a jam, or just raspberries cooked down into a paste? (It is not a very thick layer so they definitely aren't layering fresh berries in there.) The layering seems to be filo, raspberry stuff, nut layer, filo.

[ChefCrash]

On 1/2/2017 at 7:26 AM, gfron1 said:

@ChefCrash What a great idea she has! Just joking - I've been doing your method for years. A couple of thoughts. I've always used whole wheat fillo when I can find it and prefer it ten fold. Also, she said the syrup must be cold. I've never worried about that - what's the rationale?

According to aunt Rita (the same one Maureen mentions in the video), the syrup should be room temp cold not chilled. The rationale is,the cold syrup is better absorbed by the hot baklava.

Since we've always made the syrup before we started on the Baklava it was always at room temperature by the time the baklava was done.

By the way, thirty five or forty years ago if you wanted a tray of Baklava for the holidays, the only way was to placed an order with aunt Rita, may she rest in peace:)

 

[Lisa Shock]

7 hours ago, quiet1 said:

For cutting, could you brush the top layer with butter before cutting to keep it from drying out and stick it down a bit while you cut? Then add the rest of the butter over the top to soak in? I've never made baklava so there may be some good reason why that wouldn't work.  (I'm thinking to brush on not much butter, so it isn't super soggy or greasy as you cut, just enough to make the thin layers of filo on top less likely to dry out and shift around.)

 

My main reason for posting is one of the local Greek shops here makes a raspberry baklava that is a bit different and very nice. With all the sweetness of the syrup I can't tell what they are using for the raspberry layer, though - would it be a jam, or just raspberries cooked down into a paste? (It is not a very thick layer so they definitely aren't layering fresh berries in there.) The layering seems to be filo, raspberry stuff, nut layer, filo.

 

I haven't ever known anyone to do this, but, if i were going to do it, I would put in a few thin layers of red raspberry bakery jam. It won't burn, doesn't run, and has a good strong flavor.

[Darienne]

Thanks to Heidi for sending me to this thread.  Wow!  I am going to do this very thing.  I just happen to have two boxes of Phyllo in the freezer and orange blossom water and the nuts and all.  Such an interesting thread.  Thanks all. 

[gfron1]

After all these years I still find this the absolute best. If at all possible get whole wheat fillo which really helps with the sweetness. 

[heidih]

On deck for tomorrow. Afraid I'll fall asleep tonight and burn it.... Will post. 

[heidih]

OK my yearly baklava anxiety attack. People get so excited that I feel ridiculous pressure and I am normally Miss Calm Cool Collected. Nuts ground, syrup ready to boil, butter ready, oven pre-heating. I think the big stops for me are the cutting which I described to a friend today as "precision cutting of wet kleenex and getting syrup just right. A normal person would use a thermometer - but.. So... ready set go

[Smithy]

On 12/8/2019 at 4:00 PM, heidih said:

OK my yearly baklava anxiety attack. People get so excited that I feel ridiculous pressure and I am normally Miss Calm Cool Collected. Nuts ground, syrup ready to boil, butter ready, oven pre-heating. I think the big stops for me are the cutting which I described to a friend today as "precision cutting of wet kleenex and getting syrup just right. A normal person would use a thermometer - but.. So... ready set go

 

How did it go? Got photos to share?

[heidih]

2 hours ago, Smithy said:

 

How did it go? Got photos to share?

 

Pretty well. TThe main issue was getting "short-sheeted". I ordered the dough with my grocery order and they were smaller than my usual which fill whole pan and have to slighty trim edges. Along one uncut side you can see how much smaller they were. So I cut the pieces smaller which made them more unwieldy and messy. I did give away of some yesterday so this morning's shot is not whole batch. Syrup was perfect. The only 2 lemons I could harvest were not really juicy but fragrant so I grated some zest in.I did keep a dish in freezer to test syrup  a few times. There was plenty of the other selections so plates will be full.

[shawarma_prince]

Is baklava originally Assyrian?

 

I love baklava in all varieties. Pistachio, walnut even chocolate.

[C. sapidus]

Made ChefCrash's baklava with a modified syrup of water, sugar, and honey, flavored with canela ("true" cinnamon), cloves, and lemon peel strips.

 

Out of the oven and drenched in syrup. Should be at its best in a day or three, if it lasts that long (we have dinner parties all weekend).

 

[Smithy]

2 hours ago, C. sapidus said:

Made ChefCrash's baklava with a modified syrup of water, sugar, and honey, flavored with canela ("true" cinnamon), cloves, and lemon peel strips.

 

Out of the oven and drenched in syrup. Should be at its best in a day or three, if it lasts that long (we have dinner parties all weekend).

 

 

You lost me on the cloves, but the rest looks wonderful! Thanks so much for pulling up this idea. May your guests be at least as happy as I for you've done for them!