Cinnamon + Walnut Baklava

There used to be this really great Middle Eastern bakery on Central in Minneapolis. It was the perfect little hole-in-the-wall place with the nicest staff and the BEST baklava. My friend and I had this tradition every time we’d get together: hit up El Taco Riendo for some amazing burritos, and then stroll down to Al-Amir Bakery for the perfect dessert. Unfortunately, Al-Amir Bakery closed a few years ago and left a baklava-sized hole in my heart. I have been searching for a replacement ever since and struggled to find anything that held up to the memories of Al-Amir to no avail, and yes, I am sure a lot of it is nostalgia. Eventually, I realized that I should just learn how to make baklava myself. And while it still isn’t exactly the same as Al-Amir’s secret recipe – I gotta say, it is pretty dang good.

Jump to recipe

To start, you’ll need one 16 ounce package of Phyllo Dough (sometimes spelled Filo). You can absolutely try making your own phyllo dough, but for the sake of time and ease, (especially if this is your first time making baklava), store-bought is fine. Phyllo dough is usually found in the freezer dessert section of the grocery stores. I have found it at Target, Cub Foods, and Trader Joe’s. (Trader Joe’s only has it as a seasonal item though. So you’ll probably only be able to find it there during the holidays.) Since phyllo dough comes frozen I like to allow it to thaw (still in the packaging) in my fridge overnight, and then just out on my counter as I get the other ingredients ready.

[A quick note about Phyllo Dough: Boxes of phyllo dough typically come with 2 rolls of phyllo inside. We will use both rolls to make the baklava, but we only want to open one at a time because phyllo dough can dry out quickly and become brittle. Phyllo dough sheets are very thin and fragile – so be gentle with them, but if they tear a bit while you handle them – it is TOTALLY fine. They are going into the baklava and you won’t be able to tell. So don’t sweat it!]

Once you have your package of phyllo dough thawing on your counter you can move on to the next step: making the filling! You can really use whatever kind of nuts you prefer. I usually bounce back and forth between walnuts and pecans, but pistachios are very traditional. To make the filling you just put the nuts, cinnamon, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse the food processor until everything is evenly combined and the nuts are broken down into small pieces.

Melt 3 sticks of butter (or 1 1/2 cups). Using a pastry brush or silicone brush, generously brush the inside of your 9×13 baking dish with melted butter. Now we can start to assemble the baklava! Carefully unroll the first package of phyllo dough. Gently lay 2 sheets of phyllo down into your baking dish. Using the pastry brush, dab butter all over the phyllo. (I’ve found that using a dabbing motion has worked best for me. Trying to wipe or brush the butter on usually just tears the phyllo dough. This part of the process can be time-consuming and a little frustrating since the phyllo will want to tear or stick to your brush. Try to make sure to have a beverage nearby and your favorite music or podcast playing. Slow and steady wins the race; especially when it comes to making baklava for the first time!)

Keep laying down 2 sheets of phyllo and dabbing all over with butter until you have laid about 10 sheets total. We are building the bottom of our baklava so it needs to be sturdier to support everything. Once we have our 10-layer base down we can move on to our regular layers. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the nut mixture over the buttered phyllo dough. Then place 2 more sheets of phyllo, dab with butter, sprinkle with nut mixture. Continue building in that order, 2 phyllo/butter/mixture, until you’ve gone through all the nut/sugar mixture, and only have 6 – 8 sheets of phyllo left. These last 6 – 8 sheets of phyllo will be the top of our baklava. Continue to layer them 2 at a time and dab with butter, being sure to cover the top and final sheet really well with butter so that it browns nicely in the oven.

The last thing to do before putting the baklava in the oven is to cut it into pieces. I know that for most baked goods we wait to slice into them until after they have baked. For baklava, we cut before baking for 2 reasons – first, there is a syrup that we will pour on the baklava as soon as it comes out of the oven. Having them already cut allows for the syrup to reach each layer of the baklava. Second, it is much easier to cut apart now than after it is baked. When cutting the baklava, make sure to use a very sharp knife, be sure to slice all the way down to the bottom and go slowly because the phyllo sheets will want to snag and stick to the knife. Once you have it cut, bake the baklava at 350-degrees for 25 minutes. Rotate your baking dish, and then bake it for an additional 25 minutes. The baklava should be a beautiful golden brown.

While it is baking, make the syrup. Boil 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar together until the sugar is dissolved. Whisk in the honey, vanilla and 1 Tbsp. of cinnamon, and lower to a simmer. Allow this mixture to simmer for 20 minutes. Pour this mixture all over the baklava as soon as it is done baking. Since the baklava will be hot from the oven, the syrup will bubble and sizzle as you pour it over – so be careful. Allow the baklava to cool, and absorb the syrup before serving.

Recipe

Print