The holidays are upon us once again, and one thing all winter holidays seem to have in common is food, glorious food. The temptation to overindulge is strong this time of year, but as we celebrate, it’s wise to heed to words of the ancient Greek poet, Hesiod, and remember, “Moderation is best in all things” (even during this festive time of year).
Honey’s antimicrobial properties have been demonstrated in vitro, and it has been found to have antifungal, antiinflammatory, and antioxidant activity as well. Honey has also been shown to exert a cardio-protective effect in rats, and antibacterial Medihoney® has been shown to be effective against various multi-resistant microorganisms.
This week’s recipe for Baklava is a sweet, crispy crowd pleaser. 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 pedigree of honey
Does not concern the bee;
A clover, any time, to him
Is aristocracy.
~Emily Dickinson, “The Pedigree of Honey”
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.
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 just 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
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 a lightly damp towel. Lay a sheet of filo on the bottom of a half-sheet pan (18x13-inch rimmed metal 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. Using a sharp chef’s knife, 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 the pan 45° and cut columns evenly into diamond shapes.
- Bake in an 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.