Our restaurant has been serving Baklava for decades and it’s always been a favourite way to end a meal at Spiro’s. We go through several pans a week and I can’t imagine serving more of it, but as more people try it, I keep having to make more and more pans! I thought it would be a good time to share this top secret recipe with you so that you can enjoy Baklava at home with your family or at your next party! Don’t forget to watch the video as I share lots of tips and tricks that are important when successfully making Baklava!
Baklava
Our restaurant has been serving Baklava for decades and it’s always been a favourite way to end a meal at Spiro’s.
Ingredients
- 3 cups white sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 sticks cinnamon
- half lemon
- 1 box Phyllo Pastry
- 1½ cups chopped walnuts
- 1½ cups sliced almonds
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 pound unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375ºF
- Make your syrup by adding the white sugar, water, cinnamon sticks, and half lemon to a medium saucepan. Boil on high heat for 5 minutes. The contents should have taken on a thicker consistency and should fall like a hair off a teaspoon. Set aside to cool completely.
- Take the chopped walnuts and the sliced almonds and put in a large bowl. Sprinkle the cinnamon and stir until every piece is coated with cinnamon. Set aside.
- Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl or on the stovetop in a small saucepan.
- Prepare a 9×13 pan by lightly sprinkling the melted butter on the bottom of the pan with a pastry brush. Make sure the butter and brush are close by as you will be using these for every layer. Unwrap the box of phyllo and lay it flat.
- Take one sheet of phyllo and set in the pan. Add a sprinkle of butter and the fold over the excess phyllo onto itself in the pan. Turn your pan around 180 degrees and repeat this step so each side is getting an equal amount of phyllo pastry.
- Once you have done 4 layers, add a handful (about ¾ cup) of the nut mixture. Add another sheet of phyllo and butter and add another handful of the nut mixture. Repeat this until you have 4 layers of the nut mixture in the phyllo.
- Finish the Baklava by saving a good piece of phyllo, putting it halfway over the pan, then folding the remaining 2/3 over the pan to cover it completely. This should leave no seams on the Baklava.
- Take a sharp knife and cut the Baklava. This is done by cutting 9 square pieces then cutting those pieces in half, diagonally.
- Sprinkle the remaining butter on top of the cut Baklava. Make sure not to use the “white” part of the melted butter as that is water and it will make your Baklava soggy.
- Take your hand and wet it under your tap and flick water onto the Baklava. Although it seems counter-intuitive (especially since we don’t want the water from the butter on the Baklava), this will actually help make the top layer nice and crispy!
- Put it in the oven for 45-50 minutes. Keep your eye on it and make sure the top is nice and golden brown.
- Once the Baklava is done, take a ladle and pour the syrup over the hot Baklava until it’s all gone. Make sure you let the Baklava drink up all the syrup before cutting into it. It’s ideal to let it sit for 30-45 minutes before serving.
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @yiamaswithyiayia on Instagram and hashtag it #yiamaswithyiayia.