St. Euphrosynos Taverna and Ouzeri 37

[MariaRegina]

Dear Handmaiden,

I will pray for you and the thousands who are losing their jobs during this coming season of the Nativity. I probably will not find a job either after Christmas. The jobless rate is dramatically increasing everywhere in the USA. We are in difficult times and it is criminal.

 

[Gwenyfur]

okay my baklava recipe:
INGREDIENTS

• 1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
• 1 pound chopped nuts
• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup honey

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.
2. Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.
3. Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
4. Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
5. Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.

Yes...I freely admit it...I got it here

Though I did reduce the sugar and increase the honey...I think it tastes better...and I also omit the vanilla on occasion...

 

[MariaRegina]

Sounds good, Gwen.

Thanks.

 

[Greg the byzantine]

okay my baklava recipe:
INGREDIENTS

• 1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
• 1 pound chopped nuts
• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup honey

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.
2. Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.
3. Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
4. Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
5. Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.

Yes...I freely admit it...I got it here

Though I did reduce the sugar and increase the honey...I think it tastes better...and I also omit the vanilla on occasion...

MMmmm yup that's your basic baklava (except I rarely see people use vanilla as a flavoring in Baklava). Basically once you know how to make that, you can tweak the ingredients for different flavors and textures.

One of my all time favorites is made with pistachio nuts, and the syrup is flavored with Rose Water

Walnuts, Almonds, or a combination are great. There are also so many different ways of flavoring the syrup. Some use orange peel (or other citrus), others use cinnamon sticks, others cloves, Blossom Water (A fragrant water made from orange blossoms), Rose Water, and my family favorite is Rose Geranium leaves (aka citronella, and you may think it wierd because of those nasty scented insect candles but as a flavoring in sweets it has a mild fragrance halfway between a citrus and rose and makes for an amazing syrup)....

Now I want Baklava

 

[Gwenyfur]

I *LOVE* making it with orange peel

but that's the basics...dress it however ya want

 

[Photini]

Salted butter or unsalted? Which is better for baklava?

 

[Gwenyfur]

I usually buy salted...never actually thought about it

 

[Greg the byzantine]

Definitely salted butter for baklava because it's not getting mixed into a dough or batter. Unsalted butter has that sweet smell that you look for in a cake or frosting and doesn't really fit the flavor profile that you expect from those buttery flaky layers of phyllo. I've even seen a baklava made with olive oil (very distinct flavor, I actually really enjoyed it, but I don't think most people would like that combination)

 

[Michael G]

I'd be interested in a good baklava recipe too.

My wife makes great baklava!!!

 

[HandmaidenOfGod]

Dear Handmaiden,

I will pray for you and the thousands who are losing their jobs during this coming season of the Nativity. I probably will not find a job either after Christmas. The jobless rate is dramatically increasing everywhere in the USA. We are in difficult times and it is criminal.

Thank you Maria, and I too shall keep you in prayer.

 

[Photini]

Definitely salted butter for baklava because it's not getting mixed into a dough or batter. Unsalted butter has that sweet smell that you look for in a cake or frosting and doesn't really fit the flavor profile that you expect from those buttery flaky layers of phyllo. I've even seen a baklava made with olive oil (very distinct flavor, I actually really enjoyed it, but I don't think most people would like that combination)

Gotcha. Thanks muchly.

 

[Anhelyna]

Wow - it's breakfast time and I'm reading about baklava

Me wants

 

[Khaleas]

47.5 hrs and I'll be on my way home!!!! This past week has been very long... Can't wait to be home again.

 

[Michael G]

47.5 hrs and I'll be on my way home!!!! This past week has been very long... Can't wait to be home again.

Did you get the citizenship thing cleared up?

 

[Emmanuel-A]

Good morning to those who mentioned baklava, to those who like baklava, to those who can make baklava, to those who post baklava pictures, to those who whish they'd knew how to make baklava, and to other baklava friends.

What ? Me ? Obssessed aboud baklavas ? Noooo

 

[Michael G]

Good morning to those who mentioned baklava, to those who like baklava, to those who can make baklava, to those who post baklava pictures, to those who whish they'd knew how to make baklava, and to other baklava friends.

What ? Me ? Obssessed aboud baklavas ? Noooo

Are you hungry Emmanuel?

 

[Hoankan]

LOL, and here I had Brazilian food for lunch. Still not hungry (oh way too many delicious choices!).

 

[Michael G]

Yes, please.

I just bottled my Dopple Bock today and it tastes very good! It is kind of hard to get a good feel for the taste of a beer when it is just bottled because it has yet to carbonate, but from what I can tell of the taste I am very happy with the results!

 

[Michael G]

Unfinished ode to Baklava

I choose Baklava to beer any day.
I gag. I choke. I sneeze. I cough. I wheeze.
Whenever I pass by Budweister bay.


Greg, do you have a Baklava recipe or two that you can share?

Luckily the world is big enough for people who do not like beer. It is just good that you don't live on my block!

 

[MariaRegina]

LOL, and here I had Brazilian food for lunch. Still not hungry (oh way too many delicious choices!).

I have heard that there are many Brazilians in Japan.

What does Brazilian food taste like? Now you have got my curiosity.