Armenian Paklava Recipes

ARMENIAN PAKLAVA

Steps:

• Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.
• In your food processor fitted with the blade attachment, pulse together the walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and cloves until everything is well combined and the mixture resembles coarse sand. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and set aside.
• Open and unroll your package of phyllo dough.
• Using a pastry brush with natural bristles, brush a thin layer of melted butter on the bottom and sides of a 9 X 13-inch baking pan.
• Take one sheet of the phyllo dough and lay it on the bottom of the pan, folding in the overhanging side to fit. Since you’ll be making a two-thirds fold with each sheet, you want to remember to alternate the direction of the fold each time you make a new layer to prevent one side of the finished paklava from being thicker than the other side. Using the pastry brush, immediately brush a thin layer of butter over the entire sheet of phyllo dough. You can also use the pastry brush to push down the phyllo dough around the sides of the pan, helping to creating a cleaner and more even edge.
• Repeat this layering process with three more sheets of phyllo dough. Then evenly spread a rounded cup of the walnut mixture over top of the phyllo dough.
• Repeat this process a total of three more times, but now using only three sheets of phyllo dough for each layer.
• After the last layer of the walnut mixture, layer four sheets of phyllo dough to make the top. Then using a sharp knife, make four vertical slices through the assembled paklava. Next, start in one of the corners of the baking pan and make slices on the diagonal to create the diamond shapes. You can use the pastry brush to help hold down the layers of phyllo dough while you slice through it with the knife. And after you’re done, any pieces of phyllo dough that moved or got misshapen can be re-adjusted with the pastry brush.
• Pour any of the remaining melted butter through the slices on the paklava. Then transfer the baking pan to your pre-heated over and bake the paklava for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is lightly golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
• While the paklava bakes, make the syrup. Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the syrup cool to room temperature.
• Once the paklava is cool, go over all the slices a second time with your knife to make sure the pieces are cut all the way through to the bottom. Then slowly pour the cooled syrup between the slices. I typically use about two-thirds of the syrup, but you can use more or less depending on your desired level of sweetness.
• Let the paklava rest in its baking pan for about an hour before serving to allow time for the syrup to absorb into the layers.
• Leftover paklava can be stored in your refrigerator for 5-6 days.

GREEK BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.
• 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.
• 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.
• Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
• 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.

PAKLAVA (ARMENIAN BAKLAVA)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch pan.
• Prepare the filling by mixing together the walnuts, sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
• Open the package of phyllo dough and lay it out on the table or a clean work surface. Cover with a clean cloth when not using it so it doesn't dry out. Take one sheet of phyllo and fold it to fit the inside of the pan (it may not be folded exactly in half in order to fit). Lightly brush/blot with melted clarified butter.
• Repeat with another sheet of phyllo, but this time place the folded sheet facing the other way so you alternate directions of where the dough is folded. Again, blot with butter and continue like this until half the dough is arranged in the pan. The box will tell you approximately how many sheets it contains, but feel free to count it to be more exact on when to stop.
• Spread the filling evenly over the dough. Continue folding and arranging the phyllo as above until you reach the last layer. For the last layer while the sheet is still on your work surface brush the dough lightly with clarified butter before folding it (so there is butter in the middle), then carefully flip it over and place it in the pan so the top is a smooth sheet of dough and the uneven folded part is hidden underneath.
• Cut diamonds with a very sharp knife by cutting lengthwise into 1 ½ inch wide strips, and then start at one corner with 45° diagonals spaced about 2 inches apart until you make diamond shapes with the whole pan.
• Spoon the remaining hot clarified butter evenly over the top, using the back of the spoon to gently spread the butter, if needed, without disturbing the top layer of phyllo.
• Bake for about 45 to 55 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely before moving on.
• Prepare the syrup by dissolving the sugar in the water over high heat. Bring to a boil then add the lemon juice and cloves, lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and rest for about 17 or 18 minutes until the syrup is warm, but not too hot (about 160 to 165°F).
• Discard the cloves and ladle the very warm syrup over the pan of paklava and let it soak until mostly absorbed, about 1 hour. There may still be some syrup left in the pan, but most of it should soak into the dough. Use a sharp knife and go over all the previous cuts, making sure the paklava is cut all the way through before serving. Store at room temperature.

PAKLAVA - TRADITIONAL STYLE

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, combine nuts and cinnamon. Set aside.
• Lightly brush a 9″ x 13″ baking pan with melted butter.
• Place half of the phyllo sheets (20 sheets) on the bottom of the pan, lightly brushing every (or every other) sheet with melted butter.
• Spread with nut mixture.
• Layer the rest of the phyllo sheets (20 more sheets) on top, lightly brushing each sheet, including the top layer, with melted butter.
• Place tray of unbaked paklava in refrigerator for about 45 minutes to one hour before attempting to cut.
• To make diamond-shaped cuts: using a very sharp knife, cut diagonally, then make vertical cuts through phyllo dough.
• Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until golden brown.
• As soon as the paklava comes out of the oven, spoon some of the cooled syrup over the top of each piece. Cool completely before serving.