Southern Pecan Baklava
Baklava is a really cool dessert that has a great history to it. Regionally, it comes from the Middle East, but there are interesting variations all across Europe, Africa, and Asia. The most well-known variant is Turkish and it usually features chopped pistachios or walnuts mixed with cinnamon and spread between layers of phyllo dough soaked in a honey-water mixture. In Iran, rose water is used as opposed to honey-water. In Armenia, clove and nutmeg are often added to the cinnamon to create a more spiced version. Some recipes call for almonds instead of walnuts or pistachios! It’s amazing how different people have learned to make this delicious dessert their own.
We are not from Turkey or Armenia, and, being from Alabama, I have always used pecans in nutty desserts. Therefore, we decided to add our own, southern twist to this delicious Middle Eastern staple. We used pecans instead of pistachios or walnuts. In the South, we like to put pecans in all sorts of things. They have a mild nutty flavor, which I almost think of as being buttery! They are perfect for a dessert, and most importantly they are cheaper than pistachios or walnuts!
We also use salted butter instead of unsalted butter. Often baklava can taste too sweet to me and the use of salted butter really balances out the sweetness of the honey.
Notes:
About the phyllo: The main structural component of baklava is the phyllo dough, and often phyllo dough can be a pain to work with. Instead of coming out in large sheets as it should, it often crumbles to pieces. Put Athens or Pepperidge Farm phyllo in the refrigerator overnight to defrost. It will do wonders for you! I have had no problems with Pepperidge Farm, and Athens typically does fine. However, if you are going to buy a bargain brand of phyllo dough (like Safeway), you should buy two boxes just in case.
For the kids: Our older kid loves these, but the crisp texture of the phyllo dough weirded out our youngest. We like this dessert for the kiddos because it has nuts (aka protein aka yay for allergen exposure!) AND because it has honey which is also great (provided your little is over a year old). Exposure to local honeys can help decrease seasonal allergies as it will acclimate the body to local pollens.
Southern Pecan Baklava
Ingredients
- 1 pound pecans
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups salted butter, melted
- 1-2 packages phyllo dough, defrosted
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup local honey
Instructions
Prepare the filling
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Combine the pecans and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse until a fine crumble forms with no large nut pieces remaining.
Assemble
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Brush the bottoms and sides of a 13×9 cake pan with melted butter.
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Add 2 sheets of phyllo dough, patching together or trimming if necessary to fit the pan.
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Brush with butter and top with 2 more sheets.
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Repeat this process 4 more times, brushing gently with butter after every 2 sheets of phyllo for a total of 12 phyllo sheets.
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Spread half of the pecan mixture onto the phyllo evenly.
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Add 2 sheets of phyllo to the top of the pecans and brush carefully with butter.
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Repeat 2 more times for a total of 6 sheets of phyllo, brushing with butter each time.
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Spread evenly with remaining pecans.
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Finally, add 12 more sheets of phyllo, brushing with butter in between every 2 sheets.
Cut and bake
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Preheat the oven to 350F.
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Cut the baklava (yes you cut it BEFORE baking it). You can cut them into any shape you like. I usually start with vertical cuts across the pan and then do diagonals creating rhombuses and triangles.
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Bake the baklava for 35 minutes, or until it is golden brown on the top.
Make the syrup
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While the baklava is baking, combine the water, sugar, and honey in a small pot over medium eat.
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Bring to a simmer and stir until everything is combined and all the sugar has dissolved. Let simmer for 20 minutes.
Finishing and storing
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When the baklava is done baking, remove it from the oven and pour the syrup over it.
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Let it rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.
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To store: let it sit in the pan uncovered to keep crisp. Wrapping will cause the phyllo to lose its crunch. afiyet olsun!
