Many years ago my friend Bryant entered a community Dutch Oven competition. When he lifted the lid off his pot I said “That looks like Baklava”. It was Baklava and it was wonderful. I couldn’t believe it came from a Dutch oven. There is nothing like flaky pastry, butter, nuts and sugar! Baklava is one of those sweet desserts that really hits the spot. I have thought of that experience for a long time and finally decided to give it a try. Wow, am I happy I did – this is so stinking good!
Baklava
24 sheets Fillo dough (Thaw in fridge overnight, do not leave on counter)
1 cup butter; melted
1 ½ cups finely chopped pecans
2 T sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
Lemon Honey Syrup:
1 ½ cups sugar
¾ cup water
½ tsp. lemon juice
1 T honey
Prepare honey syrup by combining all ingredients and bringing to a boil. Boil 1 minute. Chill.
Melt butter. Mix pecans, sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Butter the bottom of a 12-inch dutch oven generously. Lay 1 sheet of Fillo dough in the bottom of the dutch oven. While working with your Fillo, keeping it covered with a damp cloth. Using a pastry brush, butter the top, beginning at the edges and working towards the center. Repeat this step until you have placed 8 sheets of Fillo dough in the dutch oven, buttering each layer. (I laid each sheet in the opposite direction to help fill the pan better.) Sprinkle ½ nut mixture evenly over the Fillo dough. Place 8 more sheets of Fillo dough on top of nut mixture, buttering between each layer. Sprinkle remaining nut mixture on top. Repeat with 8 more sheets of Fillo Dough, buttering each layer. Drizzle any remaining butter on the top. Fold down excess Fillo dough from around the edge of the dutch oven.
Cut into diamond shaped pieces without cutting through the bottom layer of Fillo dough. Place lid on dutch oven. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until lightly golden (350° = 8 coals on the bottom and 16 on top). Remove from heat and pour chilled syrup over the Baklava. Finish cutting through the bottom layer of Fillo. Serve.
Source: #GuysOutside
- 24 sheets Fillo (phylo) dough (Thaw in fridge overnight, do not leave on counter)
- 1 cup butter; melted
- 1 ½ cups finely chopped pecans
- 2 T sugar
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- Lemon Honey Syrup:
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ¾ cup water
- ½ tsp. lemon juice
- 1 T honey
- Prepare honey syrup by combining all ingredients and bringing to a boil. Boil 1 minute. Chill.
- Melt butter. Mix pecans, sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Butter the bottom of a 12-inch dutch oven generously. Lay 1 sheet of Fillo dough in the bottom of the dutch oven. While working with your Fillo, keeping it covered with a damp cloth. Using a pastry brush, butter the top, beginning at the edges and working towards the center. Repeat this step until you have placed 8 sheets of Fillo dough in the dutch oven, buttering each layer. (I laid each sheet in the opposite direction to help fill the pan better.) Sprinkle ½ nut mixture evenly over the Fillo dough. Place 8 more sheets of Fillo dough on top of nut mixture, buttering between each layer. Sprinkle remaining nut mixture on top. Repeat with 8 more sheets of Fillo Dough, buttering each layer. Drizzle any remaining butter on the top. Fold down excess Fillo dough from around the edge of the dutch oven.
- Cut into diamond shaped pieces without cutting through the bottom layer of Fillo dough. Place lid on dutch oven. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until lightly golden (350° = 8 coals on the bottom and 16 on top). Remove from heat and pour chilled syrup over the Baklava. Finish cutting through the bottom layer of Fillo. Serve.
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