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baqlawa |
desert made of layers of nuts and filo pastry drenched in syrup |
Ingredients: |
1 (16 oz.) package phyllo dough (located in the freezer section of the store) 1/2 pound chopped almonds 1/2 pound chopped walnuts 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp. each of cinnamon, allspice, ground cloves, and cardamom 1 cup butter (melted) 1 cup water 1 cup white sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract (I always put a bit more) 1/2 cup honey |
Directions: |
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9X13 pan. (If you're like me, building this dish will take a while so you don't need to start the oven right away.) Chop nuts and toss with the 1/2 cup of sugar and the spices. Set aside. Unroll the phyllo dough (cut whole stack in half to fit pan, if necessary). Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheet of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 4-5 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, and nuts, layering as you go. The topmost layer should be about 6-8 sheets deep. Using a sharp knife (buttered, if necessary), cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows, then make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baqlawa is golden and crisp. Make sauce while baqlawa is baking. Boil 1 cup sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove baqlawa from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it's wrapped up. |