Magically Delicious Baklava

Who of you out there thought that baklava was strictly a Greek dessert???  One of my pet peeves is people taking credit where it isn't due them. Well, that is what the country down south has been doing with baklava for years. Baklava is actually a Turkish dessert that was brought to the Balkans during the Turkish rule (Ottoman Empire), and it is a regular sweet staple in the Macedonia diet.  A precious friend of ours taught Hannah, Jessica (our summer intern) and me how to make it all by ourselves, and guess what?! It wasn't hard at all. In fact, it is quite possibly one of the easiest desserts I have ever made.  

First, thaw out package of store bought phyllo dough. Take 2 pieces of dough and set it on your working service, cut it long ways down the middle, and drizzle a little cooking oil all over it. Then you fold each piece in half. At this point, you will have a piece of phyllo dough that is about 3-4 inches wide.  Then put a large spoonful of chopped walnuts or pecans near the top of the dough.  And then comes the fun part...

You roll it up like a paper football.  Fold it over 3-4 times just to make sure the nuts are held in tight.

 And then you put your little phyllo triangle in a greased pan.

Keep going with that process until you have a whole pan full of 'footballs.'

Drizzle a little more oil over the top. 

Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. Keep an eye on it though. You only want it to get golden brown.

While it is in the oven mix together 4 cups sugar and 4 cups of water and bring to a boil on the stove.  This is the "sherbet" or syrup that you pour all over it once it comes out of the oven.

As soon as it is out of the oven, pour your "shebert" all over the top of it. Be generous. You want it to soak all the way through.  

And then enjoy!!! It's SO good!!!

There are many different variations of Baklava.  I have had chocolate baklava here which is amazing!!! Sometimes they roll the baklava up like cylinders and other times it is in a perfect rectangle. I think our friend taught us the simplest version of it, and it really couldn't have been much easier.  So take some time, make some Baklava and while you enjoy the deliciousness, pray for the people of Macedonia and the Balkans.