Tree nuts, while high in calories, pack a powerful punch in terms of health benefits. They are high in protein and fiber, as well as vitamins and minerals and various antioxidants like carotenoids and phytosterols. This month we will explore current research into the health benefits offered by various tree nuts while tasting some delicious recipes along the way.
Walnuts are a nutritional powerhouse packed with healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which may help combat heart disease, enhance brain health and help prevent cancer.
For a nutty and sweet Mediterranean treat, try this recipe for baklava. It was sent to CCSA as part of a series of emails from our resident chef, Dr. Linda Doody. She began sharing her extensive collection of favorite recipes with friends, family, and the CCSA team as a means of maintaining connections during the COVID-19 pandemic and it has since become a company tradition.
“The reason we bake is to share”
– Dorie Greenspan
Notes
The act of layering unleavened flat bread with chopped nuts and honey can be traced back as far as the 8th century BC during the Assyrian Empire. Modern baklava may have been invented in Turkey during the Ottoman Empire, then modified in Greece. Many Mediterranean countries have their own versions of baklava, slightly tweaking the recipe to make it unique.
Baklava is not really hard to make; homemade baklava just requires a lot of layering.
Ingredients
- Syrup (for 2–3 pans)
- 2 cups honey
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla (Optional)
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- whole cloves (The recipe has 3 dozen whole cloves, one inserted into the center of each triangle before baking. You can also add the whole cloves to the syrup instead)
- Orange, tangerine and/or lemon slices
- Nut Filling (per pan)
- 2–3 pounds shelled walnuts (Blanched almonds or pistachios can be substituted for part of the walnuts)
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice or cloves
- Baklava
- unsalted butter (~1 pound/pan)
- filo (phyllo) dough (~1 package/pan; purchase 2 packages to ensure enough sheets; the filo dough should be thin [#4] and unfrozen if possible. If purchased frozen, defrost unopened in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight to ensure that the sheets do not stick together.)
- 18x13-inch rimmed metal baking pans (These are known commercially as half sheet pans)
- pastry brushes
- sharp chef’s knife
Instructions
- Syrup
- Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to boil, and simmer for 10 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature before pouring on hot baklava.
- Nut Filling
- Finely chop nuts in a food processor, adding sugar. Do not overprocess. Mix in spices thoroughly, adding to taste.
- Baklava
- Melt butter. (Note: This can be done in the microwave.) Clarify butter by skimming foam off the top and pouring the clear yellow butter into a second container, leaving the milky liquid behind. (Alternatively, refrigerate the melted butter after skimming the foam off; the yellow clarified butter will harden; the remaining milky liquid can simply be poured off.) Brush bottom of pan with butter just to coat; do not leave pooled butter. Open filo dough package and cover with lightly damp towel. Lay a sheet of filo on the bottom of a pan and butter it lightly using a pastry brush. Repeat until there are 12 layers of filo. Butter the next sheet of filo as before but then sprinkle nut filling lightly over. Continue until there are 6 layers of nuts.
- Add another 12 layers of buttered filo without the nut filling. Carefully cut baklava into even columns by placing the pan’s shortest dimension nearest you and subdividing the longest dimension by half, and each half into quarters, and each quarter into eighths. Turn pan 45° and cut columns evenly into diamond shapes.
- Bake in oven preheated to 350°F for 35–60 minutes or until evenly browned. Remove from oven and immediately pour syrup evenly over the baklava so it penetrates between the rows. (Note: Do not add too much syrup; only a small amount should pool in the bottom of the pan.) Allow to cool several hours before serving.