Brian's Classic Baklava

       Now, this isn’t my one of my usual healthy, vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free creations...this recipe is full-on naughty!  But so delicious, it's definitely worth the splurge.  As far as I know, I don’t have a drop of Greek blood in me, but after trying my baklava, some of my friends and customers have insisted I must have some Greek roots in my ancestry!  I hope you enjoy this classic and delicious dessert!

You'll need:

1 16oz package of phyllo dough

3 cups pistachios, roasted and salted

1 cup Kerrygold butter, melted

cinnamon, as needed

        Preheat the oven to 350°F.  grease a 13x9 pan then set aside until needed.

        In a saucepan, melt the butter with a handful of pistachios.  Bring the butter to a boil, then turn down and let simmer while you are preparing the rest of the ingredients.

        Unroll phyllo dough and carefully peel off two sheets.  Place on the bottom of the prepared pan, then use a pastry brush to generously spread melted butter across the dough.  

       Hint: place a damp paper towel over the roll of phyllo to keep it from drying out as you are working with it.

       Next, sprinkle a generous amount of pistachios over the dough followed by a sprinkle cinnamon. Then add two more sheets of phyllo dough.  Repeat this layering process four times or until you’ve used up the whole roll of dough. this should make it be about eight sheets deep from top to bottom.

       Next, use a sharp knife to cut the baklava into squares or the classic diamond shape.  Be sure to cut through all the layers to the bottom of the pan.  Place into the oven and bake for 45 - 50 minutes or until the top is a nice golden brown.

 

 Baklava Sauce

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup wildflower honey

       In a saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil.  Allow the sugar to fully dissolve before adding in the honey and vanilla.  Reduce heat and let simmer for 25 minutes.

       Once the baklava has finished baking, immediately pour the sauce evenly over the top.  Place in the fridge to cool completely before serving.  For an added touch, you can sprinkle a dash of cinnamon on top for garnish…

        Enjoy!