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Baklava (Honey and Walnuts in Phyllo)
Recipe courtesy of Baklava-Voom (find it at Tidal Creek Co-op,
5329 Oleander Drive, 910-799-2667)
INGREDIENTS
½ cup chopped walnuts
and almonds, mixed
and finely ground
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup butter
1 package phyllo dough
SYRUP
1 cup granulated sugar
7 tablespoons thyme
honey
2 cloves
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
Juice of half a lemon
Water
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sweet tooth
oh honey!
Baklava, there’s not much sweeter than
this buttery nutty flavor with the flakey
sticky texture. Making your own baklava
can be a time-consuming process, so if you just want
your baklava and want it now, here’s a list of places
in the area to grab some baklava and other Greek
pastries.
Chris’ Restaurant (853 South 17th Street): The
full line of traditional Greek pastries, from kataifi to
baklava, is prepared and assembled in house. Try
their baklava for some of the finest in town, $1.25
each, pan sizes available.
Baba Ghannouj (3500 Oleander Drive, in the
Independence Mall Food Court): Try Wilmington’s
newest fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant’s baklava
taste test. The layers of papery thin phyllo
dough loaded with chopped walnuts, cinnamon and
sugar are guaranteed to please, $4.25.
savor — guide to dining on the azalea coast
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the nuts
with the sugar and cinnamon. Melt the butter.
Grease the bottom of a large baking dish.
Keep the phyllo under damp, clean dishtowels until
ready to use. Place two sheets of phyllo in the bottom.
Brush the pastry leaves with butter. Cover the
top layer with nuts and cinnamon filling. Repeat
until you have stacked eight layers. Top with two
sheets of pasty and brush with melted butter. Trim
off any excess pastry from the edges. Using a wet
knife blade, cut into triangles. Sprinkle with water
and bake for 30-40 minutes.
Boil the sugar in 6 cups of water for five minutes.
Add the honey, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf and
lemon juice. Bring to a boil and refrigerate to cool.
Pour the syrup over the warm pastry. Note: The
syrup must be cool before pouring over the warm
pastry.
Variations: Substitute pistachio nuts or almonds for
walnuts.
Several varieties of traditional Greek pastries
are available for purchase at the Greek Festival,
including baklava.
Sahara Pitas & Subs (6706 Market Street):
Sahara makes their baklava fresh on site. For only $1
each, you can afford to get two pieces: a traditional
baklava and one covered in pistachios.
Joshua Curry