Hello!
It’s been a couple of weeks since I posted a new recipe here. I’ve been really busy with a catering event that I did last Friday and didn’t have time to think about anything other than Greek food and macarons. I spent a ridiculous number of hours in the kitchen and at various grocery stores getting everything I needed.
Good filo pastry is no joke!
If you remember last summer I did a couple of catering events for one of my high school teachers and his family including his retirement party and the wedding rehearsal dinner for his son.
I did those events with my dear friend, Taylor. Right now, she is currently having the time of her life in Europe so I did this by myself (with frequent encouraging texts from her because she’s the greatest ;))
This was an event for about 100 people and it was no joke. Originally I was doing all of the food, then a week before it was changed so I was just making the desserts (macarons, baklava, karidopita) and the spanakopita. My macarons were specially requested as an addition to all of the Greek food which I loved because macarons are one of my favourite things to make.
I used more sugar, filo pastry, spinach, almond flour and just about any other ingredient you can think of than I’ve ever used over a four day period. By the time I was done I was exhausted. And my gimpy knee was not happy with me. The smiles on people’s faces made it so worth it though.
The recipes I have for the Greek food I’ve done for the last few events are authentic Greek recipes given to me by my high school teacher’s wife. And oh my goodness are they good.
My house smelled how I imagine every Greek kitchen to smell. Amazing.
I’m sharing the baklava recipe for you because it’s always a hit and it’s so, so easy to make.
Enjoy!
Baklava
Ingredients
- Baklava:
- 1 lb. filo
- 1 lb. walnuts (crushed or finely chopped)
- 1 lb. butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/16 tsp. ground cloves
- Syrup:
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 1/2 tsp. honey
- 4-6 whole cloves
Directions
- Step 1 Combine walnuts, sugar and spices in a large mixing bowl. Melt butter and brush bottom of a baking dish with melted butter
- Step 2 place on a baking sheet.
- Step 3 Place a filo sheet in baking dish and brush with melted butter, repeating this process until 6-7 sheets line the bottom of the pan. Add two handfuls of walnut mixture and spread evenly. Add two more filo sheets, brushing each with butter. Add nut mixture, repeating this process until all the ingredients are used, ending with 6-7 layers of filo on top.
- Step 4 Brush top sheet with butter and cut baklava into diamond shapes. Bake at 350° for 45min-1hr, until golden brown.
- Step 5 Mix ingredients for the syrup in a saucepan. Boil for 30-45 minutes and pour hot syrup over cool baklava.
