This layered dessert made of filo pastry, filled with chopped nuts, and sweetened with syrup or honey is the perfect summertime conclusion to your meal. One of the most popular sweet pastries of Greek and Turkish cuisine, baklava can also be enjoyed midday with tea or coffee. SeaDream Yacht Club’s version of this dish incorporates layered filo dough and notes of cinnamon, cloves, and lemon — making it refreshingly light and airy.
Ingredients:
For the Baklava:
1 package of phyllo dough (16 ounces)
1 pound of nuts (walnuts, pistachios, or a combination), finely chopped
1 C. unsalted butter, melted
1 t. ground cinnamon
¼ t. ground cloves
1 C. granulated sugar
For the Syrup:
1 C. water
1 C. granulated sugar
1 C. honey
1 t. vanilla extract
1 cinnamon stick
2-3 whole cloves
1 strip of lemon peel
Instructions:
Prepare the Syrup. In a medium saucepan, combine the water, sugar, honey, vanilla extract, cinnamon stick, cloves, and lemon peel. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and let simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the syrup to cool while you prepare the baklava.
Prepare the Baklava. Preheat your oven to 350° F (175° C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Unroll the phyllo dough and cut it to fit the size of your baking dish. Cover the phyllo with a damp cloth to keep it from drying out while you work.
Layering the Baklava. Place a sheet of phyllo in the baking dish and brush with melted butter. Repeat this process for about 8 sheets of phyllo, brushing each sheet with butter. Sprinkle a thin layer of the chopped nuts mixture over the buttered phyllo. Add another layer of 2-3 sheets of phyllo, buttering each one. Continue layering nuts and phyllo (2-3 sheets at a time), ending with about 8 sheets of phyllo on top. Make sure to butter each sheet, including the top layer.
Cutting the Baklava. Using a sharp knife, cut the baklava into diamond or square shapes. Be sure to cut all the way through to the bottom of the pan.
Baking. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the baklava is golden brown and crisp.
Finishing. Immediately after removing the baklava from the oven, slowly pour the cooled syrup over the hot baklava, ensuring it gets into all the cuts and edges. Allow the baklava to cool completely and absorb the syrup before serving.
Serving. Once cooled and set, serve the baklava pieces on a platter.
Serves: 6
A Culinary Q&A with Executive Chef Tomasz
Meet Chef Tomasz, responsible for developing and executing our 5-star cuisine on board. Discover more about how he captures the flavors of your destinations and how SeaDream Yacht Club serves up Dream Cuisine at every turn.
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