Baklava is a type of dessert found in the Middle East and Mediterranean that dates as far back as the Ottoman Empire. It is also found in parts of Asia. This dessert is a type of pastry that is incredibly rich and also very sweet. It is often served in very small portions, which could be due to how rich and intense the flavor is.
It is essentially made up of multiple layers of filo pastry with a filling of honey or syrup and also chopped nuts. Though it is prepared in a large pan, it is cut up into much smaller bite-sized portions in different shapes prior to baking. The most common shapes for it are triangles, rectangles or parallelograms.
To begin with, a number of phyllo dough layers are placed in a baking pan, with melted butter brushed on each layer to separate them. After a few layers, chopped nuts are sprinkled over the pastry to cover it; pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts and almonds are all possible options. This layer of nuts is then covered with another set of phyllo dough layers.
Once the pastry has been cooked, a syrup is then poured over it. This gives it its intense, sweet flavor. The syrup can contain honey, or even rosewater. In some parts of Turkey, this dessert is topped with milk cream flavored ice cream during the summer or a specially prepared topping called 'kaymak'.
Different countries in the region prepare it using different methods or ingredients. This could be for a number of various reasons, including religious. For example, in Greece, the dessert traditionally has thirty three layers of the pastry dough. The significance of this number is that it corresponds to the age of Jesus Christ.
In Armenia, the dessert is called paklava. Ingredients include cloves and also cinnamon. In Georgia, however, ingredients found in the dessert include sour cream and vanilla amongst others. Albanians prepare their dough with egg yolks. In Iran, the taste of the Persian version is much lighter than in the Middle East.
Phyllo dough can be purchased in most grocery stores, in the frozen section. The recipe for this dessert undoubtedly varies, but it is not difficult to make at all. Place two sheets of dough in a buttered pan and butter them thoroughly. Repeat this process of layering and buttering until eight sheets have been layered. Sprinkle about three tablespoons of chopped nuts tossed with a teaspoon of cinnamon over the layers. Continue to top with two more sheets of dough, butter and then more nuts.
Finish the pastry with six to eight layers of dough on top. Cut into diamonds and bake in a preheated oven at 350 F for fifty minutes. To make the syrup, boil together a cup of water and a cup of white sugar. Add to the mixture one teaspoon of vanilla extract and also a half cup of honey. Let it simmer for twenty minutes then pour over the pastry as soon as it comes out of the oven. Serve at room temperature.
It is essentially made up of multiple layers of filo pastry with a filling of honey or syrup and also chopped nuts. Though it is prepared in a large pan, it is cut up into much smaller bite-sized portions in different shapes prior to baking. The most common shapes for it are triangles, rectangles or parallelograms.
To begin with, a number of phyllo dough layers are placed in a baking pan, with melted butter brushed on each layer to separate them. After a few layers, chopped nuts are sprinkled over the pastry to cover it; pistachios, hazelnuts, walnuts and almonds are all possible options. This layer of nuts is then covered with another set of phyllo dough layers.
Once the pastry has been cooked, a syrup is then poured over it. This gives it its intense, sweet flavor. The syrup can contain honey, or even rosewater. In some parts of Turkey, this dessert is topped with milk cream flavored ice cream during the summer or a specially prepared topping called 'kaymak'.
Different countries in the region prepare it using different methods or ingredients. This could be for a number of various reasons, including religious. For example, in Greece, the dessert traditionally has thirty three layers of the pastry dough. The significance of this number is that it corresponds to the age of Jesus Christ.
In Armenia, the dessert is called paklava. Ingredients include cloves and also cinnamon. In Georgia, however, ingredients found in the dessert include sour cream and vanilla amongst others. Albanians prepare their dough with egg yolks. In Iran, the taste of the Persian version is much lighter than in the Middle East.
Phyllo dough can be purchased in most grocery stores, in the frozen section. The recipe for this dessert undoubtedly varies, but it is not difficult to make at all. Place two sheets of dough in a buttered pan and butter them thoroughly. Repeat this process of layering and buttering until eight sheets have been layered. Sprinkle about three tablespoons of chopped nuts tossed with a teaspoon of cinnamon over the layers. Continue to top with two more sheets of dough, butter and then more nuts.
Finish the pastry with six to eight layers of dough on top. Cut into diamonds and bake in a preheated oven at 350 F for fifty minutes. To make the syrup, boil together a cup of water and a cup of white sugar. Add to the mixture one teaspoon of vanilla extract and also a half cup of honey. Let it simmer for twenty minutes then pour over the pastry as soon as it comes out of the oven. Serve at room temperature.
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