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 or filo is maybe complicated to make, but can easily be bought. For one cake, you need twenty to twenty four sheets of filo, four cups of ground or chopped nuts, three cups of sugar, melted butter or oil and some spices, preferably cinnamon. You should place a few sheets of filo, each coated with oil, sprinkle every fourth layer with nuts and continue the procedure.
Sugar syrup is easy to prepare. One and half cups of water and three cups of sugar should be cooked until syrupy, with some cinnamon and lemon juice. Replace some sugar with honey if you want. You may add cloves, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla and other spices of your choice.
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.
It is possible to use any type of nuts, and you can make interesting combinations if you combine pistachios and almonds, for example. Cup or two of finely chopped dry fruits, such as dates, are also very nice addition to your filling. Raisins, figs and dry apricots taste very nicely combined with hazelnuts, for example, especially if you add cloves and cardamom.
Other spices and aromas are also welcome. Orange zest and juice, vanilla, rum, apricot liqueur and lime will make your own recipe especially interesting. Sugar is often partially replaced with honey. This cake is really very sweet, but if you use lighter syrup, it just won't be the same. It should be very sweet and really moist.
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.
One very tasty and aromatic version of this cake include almonds or hazelnuts and one or two cups of finely chopped dried apricots. You can prepare it as you would usually do, but you could also replace lemon juice with orange juice and add a small amount of apricot liqueur in sugar syrup, to make it even more appealing. This really is delicious and perfectly aromatic.
Phillo or filo is maybe complicated to make, but can easily be bought. For one cake, you need twenty to twenty four sheets of filo, four cups of ground or chopped nuts, three cups of sugar, melted butter or oil and some spices, preferably cinnamon. You should place a few sheets of filo, each coated with oil, sprinkle every fourth layer with nuts and continue the procedure.
Sugar syrup is easy to prepare. One and half cups of water and three cups of sugar should be cooked until syrupy, with some cinnamon and lemon juice. Replace some sugar with honey if you want. You may add cloves, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla and other spices of your choice.
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.
It is possible to use any type of nuts, and you can make interesting combinations if you combine pistachios and almonds, for example. Cup or two of finely chopped dry fruits, such as dates, are also very nice addition to your filling. Raisins, figs and dry apricots taste very nicely combined with hazelnuts, for example, especially if you add cloves and cardamom.
Other spices and aromas are also welcome. Orange zest and juice, vanilla, rum, apricot liqueur and lime will make your own recipe especially interesting. Sugar is often partially replaced with honey. This cake is really very sweet, but if you use lighter syrup, it just won't be the same. It should be very sweet and really moist.
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.
One very tasty and aromatic version of this cake include almonds or hazelnuts and one or two cups of finely chopped dried apricots. You can prepare it as you would usually do, but you could also replace lemon juice with orange juice and add a small amount of apricot liqueur in sugar syrup, to make it even more appealing. This really is delicious and perfectly aromatic.
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