Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Baklava

Yesterday, I made my first batch of Baklava for Mac's class's Greek Festival. I was pleased at how it turned out and so was Ethan. He loved the sweet, nutty flavor and asked me to make more. Mac on the other hand, wouldn't even try it.

Baklava is made with phyllo dough and nuts. This little treat is especially high in calories and fat. Each sheet of phyllo dough (there are 20 sheets of phyllo in this batch) is coated with melted butter. In between the layers, I used a combination of almonds and walnuts mixed with a cinnamon sugar. After the baklava is finished baking, a simple syrup is poured over the top. I made my syrup by boiling water, sugar, honey, a cinnamon stick, lemon peel and juice. Ethan and I enjoyed our baklava with a cup of peppermint-ginger tea. The pretty gold and green plate belonged to my grandma and was a gift from my Aunt Mary. It compliments my gold teapot perfectly!