Baklava

Natalie Koive (Dillon)

Baklava

Description

This Christmas baklava is a treasured family tradition from Natalie’s Yiayia. The recipe features a cinnamon-and-clove syrup, a walnut-and-almond filling, and a small amount of brandy added after the syrup is removed from the heat.

Ingredients

  • Syrup:
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 cups water
  • 4 cups sugar
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 5 cloves
  • 1/8 cup brandy, added after removing the syrup from the heat
  • Filling:
  • 1 lb chopped walnuts
  • 1 lb chopped almonds
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp plain rybeck toast
  • For assembly (best-guess quantities):
  • 2 lbs phyllo (filo) dough, typically two 16-oz boxes
  • 1–1 1/2 lbs unsalted butter (4–6 sticks or 2–3 cups), melted

Instructions

**Best-guess method:** Natalie’s source caption provides the ingredients but not the assembly or baking method. The method below is an informed reconstruction and has not been verified against her family recipe.
  1. Make and cool the syrup: In a medium saucepan, combine the water, 4 cups sugar, cinnamon stick, and cloves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
  2. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir in the honey and simmer for 1 minute more.
  3. Remove the syrup from the heat, stir in the brandy, and set it aside to cool completely to room temperature. Remove the cinnamon stick and cloves before pouring. Cold syrup over hot baklava helps preserve the filo’s crispness.
  4. Prepare the filling: In a large bowl, combine the walnuts, almonds, 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, and rybeck toast. Toss until evenly mixed.
  5. Prepare the pan: Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Brush the bottom and sides of a 9 × 13-inch baking pan, or a half-sheet pan, with melted butter. Unroll the filo dough and cover it with a slightly damp towel to keep it from drying out.
  6. Build the base: Place one filo sheet in the pan and brush it lightly but completely with melted butter. Repeat until the base has 8–10 buttered sheets.
  7. Sprinkle a thin, even layer of the nut filling—about one-fifth of the mixture—over the buttered filo.
  8. Continue layering: Add 2–3 sheets of filo over the nuts, brushing each sheet with butter, then add another thin nut layer. Repeat these layers until all of the nut filling is used.
  9. Finish the top: Add a final layer of 8–10 filo sheets, brushing each with butter, including the top sheet.
  10. Cut and bake: Before baking, use a sharp knife to cut parallel lines and then diagonal lines through to the bottom of the pan, forming diamond shapes. Bake on the middle rack for 45–60 minutes, until deep golden brown and crisp.
  11. Add the syrup: Immediately pour the completely cooled syrup evenly over the piping-hot baklava. It should sizzle as it hits the pastry.
  12. Let the baklava rest uncovered at room temperature for at least 4–6 hours, or preferably overnight, so the layers can absorb the syrup.

A Note from Natalie

There are certain family traditions that are just extra special, and one of those for us is Christmas Baklava. The smell of cinnamon and clove, buttery fingers and all-hands-on-deck filling...it will always remind me of my Yiayia. “I wish she was here,” one of us said while making this the other day. “She is,” we all replied in unison. 🎄❤️🇬🇷