When you crave for something really moist and sweet, try this traditional eastern specialty. Once, the great part of Europe was part of Ottoman Empire. In these parts, baklava is still prepared and served in all special occasions. It is made of nuts, sugar and layers of very thin pastry called phillo or filo, with the addition of spices such as cinnamon, cardamom and cloves, refreshed with some lemon juice.
Phillo sheets should be sized to fit your pan. For making one rich cake maybe twenty sheets are needed. Every sheet should be coated with oil or with melted butter. You should place three to four coated sheets in your pan first, and then sprinkle everything with coarsely ground or finely chopped nuts adding a small spoon of cinnamon and some other spices of your choice.
Sugar syrup is also simple to make. Three cups of sugar and one and a half cups of water should be cooked until become syrupy. You should also add some lemon juice and cinnamon in it. It is possible to replace one part of sugar with some other sweetener, usually honey, and to add other spices such as cloves.
When you are finished with layering filo and filling, you should cut your cake into cubes or into diamond shapes. Sprinkle the top with some cold water. Bake for thirty to thirty five minutes on 180 degrees of Celsius. Once the cake is done, pour cooled syrup over it and let it cool for few hours.
Instead of using walnuts, you may use any other nuts, including hazelnuts, almonds and pistachio. You could also add chopped dry fruits, for example figs, raisins and apricots. In some parts of East they use chopped dates. You will need maybe four cups of filling, but you can add more, if you like. Cinnamon is always there, but you can add cloves and cardamom as well.
You can add different spices into your syrup as well. Orange zest, cardamom and cloves are often added, but you can also add some rum, lime instead of lemon, some vanilla or any other mixture of spices. It is always quite tasty to replace at least one part of needed sugar with some honey, but it depends on your taste. Add your favorite spices in it.
One very interesting and irresistibly tasty version is made with the addition of chocolate. The recipe is basically the same, although you might prefer different spices, for example vanilla. When you are making sugar syrup, you should add maybe 200 grams of chocolate before pouring it over your hot cake. In this case the syrup doesn't have to be cooled, but you still need to cool the cake before serving it.
Another really delicious version includes two cups of ground almonds, two cups finely chopped almonds and two cups of finely chopped apricots. The preparation is the same, but you can add some apricot liqueur in your syrup, together with some vanilla and lime or orange juice. Very interesting combination you will surely enjoy in.
Phillo sheets should be sized to fit your pan. For making one rich cake maybe twenty sheets are needed. Every sheet should be coated with oil or with melted butter. You should place three to four coated sheets in your pan first, and then sprinkle everything with coarsely ground or finely chopped nuts adding a small spoon of cinnamon and some other spices of your choice.
Sugar syrup is also simple to make. Three cups of sugar and one and a half cups of water should be cooked until become syrupy. You should also add some lemon juice and cinnamon in it. It is possible to replace one part of sugar with some other sweetener, usually honey, and to add other spices such as cloves.
When you are finished with layering filo and filling, you should cut your cake into cubes or into diamond shapes. Sprinkle the top with some cold water. Bake for thirty to thirty five minutes on 180 degrees of Celsius. Once the cake is done, pour cooled syrup over it and let it cool for few hours.
Instead of using walnuts, you may use any other nuts, including hazelnuts, almonds and pistachio. You could also add chopped dry fruits, for example figs, raisins and apricots. In some parts of East they use chopped dates. You will need maybe four cups of filling, but you can add more, if you like. Cinnamon is always there, but you can add cloves and cardamom as well.
You can add different spices into your syrup as well. Orange zest, cardamom and cloves are often added, but you can also add some rum, lime instead of lemon, some vanilla or any other mixture of spices. It is always quite tasty to replace at least one part of needed sugar with some honey, but it depends on your taste. Add your favorite spices in it.
One very interesting and irresistibly tasty version is made with the addition of chocolate. The recipe is basically the same, although you might prefer different spices, for example vanilla. When you are making sugar syrup, you should add maybe 200 grams of chocolate before pouring it over your hot cake. In this case the syrup doesn't have to be cooled, but you still need to cool the cake before serving it.
Another really delicious version includes two cups of ground almonds, two cups finely chopped almonds and two cups of finely chopped apricots. The preparation is the same, but you can add some apricot liqueur in your syrup, together with some vanilla and lime or orange juice. Very interesting combination you will surely enjoy in.
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