World Baklava Day is celebrated globally on 17 November. Made with layers of filo pastry, nuts and sweetened with honey or syrup, the delicious treat is a delicacy that can either be eaten as is, with cream or with ice cream in it.
Known for being a popular dessert in the Middle East with multiple variations available in various countries, the origin of the dish can be traced back to the 8th century BC.
If you would like to make the delicious dessert, here is a great recipe that will have you baking a batch of baklava every week.
Ingredients:
- 16 ounces filo dough
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup water
- 2.25 cups of chopped up nuts
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Recipe:
- Preheat the oven to 175°C.
- Butter the bottom of the pan and about 8 sheets of the filo pastry layered into the pan. Butter each layer as you add them. To prevent the pastry from drying out, use a damp cloth to keep the layers soft.
- Add five more sheets of buttered filo pastry and then add the nut mixture. Repeat this step four times.
- For the last layer, add ten sheets of buttered filo pastry and butter the top layer.
- Cut up to the layered pastry into either diamonds or squares.
- Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
- Once out of the oven, top it off with honey or syrup.
If you would like to add a little spin on your baklava, add some orange zest or cinnamon powder to it.