Being Armenian…with Thanksgiving Thursday I thought I would share with you a very traditional Armenian dessert that I love…although I won’t be eating it until I get down to my goal weight…I hope you enjoy it!
ARMENIAN PAKLAVA
Yield: 30 to 40 pieces
Filling Ingredients:
2 cups walnuts chopped (don’t make it too fine)
1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
Main Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups clarified unsalted butter, melted*
1 lb. Phyllo dough, thawed
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, combine nuts and cinnamon. Set aside.
2. Lightly brush a 9″ x 13″ baking pan with melted butter.
3. Place half of the phyllo sheets (20 sheets) on the bottom of the pan, lightly brushing every (or every other) sheet with melted butter.
4. Spread with nut mixture.
5. Layer the rest of the phyllo sheets (20 more sheets) on top, lightly brushing each sheet, including the top layer, with melted butter.
6. Place tray of unbaked paklava in refrigerator for about45 minutes to one hour before attempting to cut.
7. To make diamond-shaped cuts: using a very sharp knife, cut diagonally, then make vertical cuts through phyllo dough.
8. Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until golden brown.
9. As soon as the paklava comes out of the oven, spoon some of the cooled syrup over the top of each piece. Cool completely before serving.
*To clarify butter: Melt about 1 ½ to 1 ¾ cups butter or butter and margarine over low heat until foam appears. Skim foam and keep on low heat for about 15 minutes or until water has evaporated and salt and solids settle to bottom of pan. Cool about 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully pour clarified butter into container, leaving salt and solids at bottom of the pan. Discard solids.
Simple Syrup:
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 ½ cups water
1 strip of lemon peel or a drop of lemon juice
Directions:
Bring all ingredients to a boil. Simmer for 10 mins
Enjoy…Karen
Karen Blake is the host for The Karen & Ralphie Morning Show weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. on The Q (WQRC 99.9 FM), Cape Cod’s Fresh Mix.
Dear Karen,
Thank you for posting, and sharing the Paklava recipe. I can’t wait for us to try making some. This being the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I hope I have the nerve to attempt it before Thursday. I still can remember my dear grandmother making a huge pan of them for the family every Sunday. We sure had it made as kids. I love those old days and the memories.
Thank you, Bernard
Canton, MI