Baklava

Crispy. Flaky. Sugary .Buttery Goodness.

Baklava is a middle eastern dessert, layers of dough filled with nuts, covered with butter and drowned in simple syrup. Sounds delicious. RIGHT ?

But wait, forget about the nuts and and imagine cheese like filling instead. Cheese, sugar, butter , flaky pastry. I can see you DROOLING now.

If you have a large, massive , huge sweet tooth like me you will love the dessert because its the most decadent thing after chocolate. If you think chocolate is the only indulgent thing on this planet try this !

 

• Servings: 12 4 inch suqare
• Time: 45 minutes
• Difficulty: almost easy
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Ingredients

Dough

• 2  – 2 and 1/2  cups all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup oil (any flavorless oil will work)
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filing

• 1 and 1/2 cups milk
• 2- 3 tablespoon sugar
• 3 tablespoon semolina
• 2 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoon rose-water

Simple syrup

• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon rose-water

 

 

Directions

Dough

In a large bowl add flour (start with 2 cups of flour is more needed add as you mix) , egg, salt, oil, yogurt, apple cider, baking powder . Using a wooden spoon mix until a dough is formed  is sticky add in 2 tablespoon of flour at a time until its combined.

Drop the dough onto a clean surface and begin to knead until smooth (about 2- 3 minutes). This dough is very smooth and soft. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and rest it for 5 minutes , meanwhile lets prepare the filling.

Filling

In a saucepan add milk, when just about to simmer add in sugar and semolina , whisk the mixture while cooking this will avoid any lumps that may form, once thicken add in 2 tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbsp of water, as soon as you pour it in whisk well the mixture will become very thick. Remove from the heat and add rose water. Let cool.

Rolling

Divide the dough into 10 equal parts , make small balls and set aside. In a small bowl add cornstarch ready to use. Roll out eat ball into 5 inch disc. Start by placing on disc on the surface  add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch spread using you fingers making sure that the surface of the disc is covered well .Add another disc on top and repeat with cornstarch . Repeat this process in till all the disc are stacked on top of each other.

Assembling

Preheat oven to 190 C and position a wire rack in the middle of the oven.

Using a rolling pin roll out the stack into a 13 by 15 inch rectangle. Cut 4 by 4 inches square this dough will make about 12.Put a 1 and 1/2 teaspoon of filling in each square and old it to make a triangle . Place  all the triangles onto a baking sheet .

Brush each triangle with butter and bake for 10 minutes , take out the baking sheet and brush them again with butter  . bake for another 5 mines . the triangles will b golden brown.Remove from oven and let cool.

Simple syrup

In a small saucepan combine water and sugar. cook until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup is thick , remove from heat add rose water and let cool.

Spoon the simple syrup onto the triangles garnish with nuts and serve warm.