Walnut-Almond-Pistachio Baklava

 
Yia Sas (Hello) friends!  Last month in September, I had the fortune of vacationing and exploring Greece for several weeks.  Greece may very well be the most beautiful country I've ever visited.  The ancient ruins are awe-inspiring.  But beyond the tourist attractions - the crystal clear waters, picturesque views, distinctively varied terrain among islands and the welcoming Greek people made for an amazing trip. A must see!

Here are a few of my favorite memories.

• Athens -  majestic Parthenon ruins make you feel like time is a grain of sand in an hourglass.
• Nafplio - a charming Italian influenced seaport town about 2 hrs driving distance from Athens.  Wish I could bottle the smell of the air so fresh!  Encountered traditional Greek folk music and locals dancing in the streets at night.
• Chania, island of Crete - a pretty Venetian port town, which has a picturesque cobblestone labyrinth of streets.
• Oia, island of Santorini - immaculately white washed city built on the cliff side a now dormant volcano.  The views are more amazing than one can imagine.  No trees, rock beaches.
• Naxos Island - Apollo's gate on the port, further outside of the main town are white sand beaches with crystal clear blue water.
• Hydra Island - beautiful fluffy green trees, spanish style rooftops, donkeys (for transportation) and an abundance of cats!

When I returned back to Seattle, I was craving a well known Greek dessert - baklava!  Below is a great recipe that I highly recommend.

Riding a donkey on the island of Hydra.

Watching waves crash in Nafplio.

Apollo's Gate - island of Naxos, Greece

Crystal clear waters of a hidden swimming hole - Hydra, Greece.

Watching the sunset at the Parthenon - Athens, Greece.

Streets of Chania, island of Crete, Greece

Sitting on my hotel balcony in the city of Oia - island of Santorini, Greece.

It's worth organizing your working space with all the ingredients before you get started especially for this recipe to quicken assembly.

Walnut Almond Pistachio Baklava
Adapted from Epicurious

Syrup:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1 tsp vanilla

Baklava:

• 3 cups nuts (mixture of walnuts, almonds, and pistachios)
• 3/4 cup sugar (organic)
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 20 17 x 12-inch sheets phyllo pastry (16 oz thawed frozen package)
• 1 cups unsalted butter, melted

Make syrup ahead up to 1 day, or if short on time, make sauce while baklava is baking.  Boil sugar and water over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Add honey, cinnamon, lemon juice, orange zest, and vanilla. Simmer until syrup is reduced about 20 minutes.  Transfer to bowl and cool completely. 

 

Preheat oven to 350°F.  .

Chop nuts using food processor until medium fine in texture. Add 3/4 cup sugar, lemon peel, and ground cinnamon. Pulse a few more seconds until evenly mixed. Set aside.

Unroll phyllo sheet stack onto work surface.  Cover with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work.   Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch baking pan or glass baking dish.  Arrange 1 phyllo sheet in baking pan with half of phyllo sheet hanging over 1 long side. Fold overhang over to make two layers. Brush with some melted butter. Repeat stacking and buttering with 4 more phyllo sheets, making 10 layers total. (Butter ever other layer.)  Spread 1/3 of nut mixture over phyllo in pan to within 1/2 inch of edge. Repeat layering 2 more times with 5 phyllo sheets and 1/3 of remaining nut mixture each time. Top with 5 more folded phyllo sheets. Using a sharp knife, cut through top phyllo layers lengthwise (cut almost, but not quite through to bottom of pan - which will enable the sauce to more evenly spread through layers rather than settle to the bottom).  Cut to make 3 or 4 long rows, then cut phyllo crosswise and diagonally to make triangles.  Bake until phyllo is golden and crisp, about 45 minutes.  Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon (cooled) sauce over it. Let cool before serving. 

As the Greeks say - Kalí óreksi!   (Let's eat/enjoy!)