Description
Flaky, crisp, tender, honey-sweet Turkish pistachio baklava is a classic dessert. The trick to this recipe is the beautifully balanced sweetness and crispiness.
Ingredients
Scale
- 16 ounce (450 grams) phyllo dough, thawed by package instructions
- 1 cup unsalted butter, 8.5 ounces, melted
- 1 pound (500 grams) finely chopped pistachios, about 4 cups
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 cup (64 grams) honey
- Pistachio flour and chopped pistachios for garnish, optional
Instructions
Pistachio Baklava
- Thaw phyllo dough as per package instructions. We recommend to do it overnight in the fridge, then place it on the counter for 30-60 minutes to bring it to room temperature.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F|175°C. Brush the bottom and the sides of a 9x13-inch baking pan. Keep aside.
- Cut the whole stack of phyllo dough in half to fit the pan, then cover with a damp towel to prevent from drying out.
- Place 2 phyllo sheets of dough in a pan, butter generously. Repeat until you have 10 sheets layered, brushing each sheet with butter before adding the next sheet. Spread about 3/4 cup over phyllo dough.
- Top with 5 buttered sheets of dough, then spread another 3/4 cup of chopped pistachios. Repeat 4 times. Finish off with 6-10 layers of buttered sheets. Brush the top with butter. (10 buttered phyllo sheets+3/4 cup pistachios/5 buttered phyllo sheets+3/4 cup pistachios/5 buttered phyllo sheets+3/4 cup pistachios/5 buttered phyllo sheets+3/4 cup pistachios/5 buttered phyllo sheets+3/4 cup pistachios/6-10 buttered phyllo sheets+3/4 cup pistachios/. You will have 36-38 sheets.
- Using a sharp knife cut into diamond shapes all the way through.
- Bake for about 50-70 minutes or until baklava is golden and crisp.
Baklava Syrup
- While baklava is baking, make the sauce. In a medium saucepan combine sugar and water and bring to a boil. Cook until sugar is melted.
- Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Remove baklava from oven and pour the syrup over the hot baklava. It guarantees that it stays crisp. Allow baklava to cool completely, then cover and allow to sit for 5-6 hours or overnight at room temperature for the best results.
- Garnish baklava with chopped pistachios and pistachio flour if desired.
- Store at room temperature, covered with a tea towel for 7-14 days.
Equipment
Notes
- You should let your baklava sit for four to six hours, or overnight, for best results. This allows the syrup to penetrate all the way through the baklava and reach the bottom layers, softening each layer of phyllo as it goes.
- Baklava does very well with a well-chosen garnish. Some chopped nuts, like walnuts or pistachios, are a great topping. You could also drizzle the top of the baklava with melted chocolate.
- When applying the syrup to the baklava, you don’t have to empty all your syrup on top at once. Drizzle the baklava one cup at a time, allowing each cup to soak in fully before adding the next one.
- You can store baklava at room temperature, if covered with a tea towel, for one to two weeks.
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dessert recipes
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Nutrition
- Calories: 685kcal
- Sugar: 29g
- Sodium: 229mg
- Fat: 44g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Carbohydrates: 62g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 13g
- Cholesterol: 51mg