Today we're going to get knee deep in baklava, because, for the first time in the history of my life, I. MADE. BAKLAVA. But before we get too carried away, let's first clear a few things up.
To understand the true wonder that is baklava, we really have to get past a few common misconceptions about what this delicious dessert IS and what it most certainly is NOT.
Baklava IS....
Baklava is a delectable confection common in central Europe, made of layers upon layers of paper-thin phyllo dough, filled with chopped nuts and drizzled, no doused, with honey syrup. After a nice night's rest, the baklava soaks up that sweet sweet honey syrup and the result is a dessert so good you'll think there's no way little old you could possibly make it yourself in your own kitchen. A dessert so good it will have you google searching for "is it normal to cry while eating".
Now that we know a bit about what is baklava in all of its greatness, we need to clarify what it certainly is NOT. Now don't go feeling sorry for yourself if you're guilty of believing one or more of these tragic untruths. Just dust yourself off and don't make the same mistake ever again.
Here we go.
To begin, baklava is NOT...a balaclava.
No, friends, it is not. While it's tempting to thing they are interchangeable, baklava and balaclavas are not, in fact, one and the same. Baklava is one of the most decadent diamonds of desserty goodness, while a balaclava is something you wear when you rob a bank, and would probably (definitely) slow down your BMs for a few days.
However, at least one clever jokester has daringly exploited a loophole in the distinction.
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Baklava is NOT...black lava
Again, as much as we might beg to disagree, these two are not twins. Baklava is sweet with honey and filled with pistachios, but taking just one nibble of black lava will definitely score you a trip to the dentist.
Baklava is NOT Bach lava
Once more, though they sound the same to the untrained ear, a subtle difference exists between the two. Baklava is crispy and flaky, while Bach Lava wears a curly white wig and will definitely burn your tongue. Observe the danger and consider yourself warned.
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If I can make baklava, so can you, dear one!
Moving on to my adventures in baklava craftsmanship...
For my first attempt making baklava, I decided to take a chocolate twist on the original. I had some amazing macadamia-cinnamon-chocolate sauce on hand, so macadamia-cinnamon-chocolate baklava is where the wind blew me.
I started with a base of 5 layers of phyllo dough, each brushed with melted butter. (Did I mention you must first sprint around your house 5 times before you can move on to the eating part?)
Then the filling was a combination of chopped pistachios, macadamia nuts, walnuts, and cinnamon.
After the filling and inbetween some of the layers went a drizzle of the macadamia-cinnamon-chocolate sauce, followed by few more layers of phyllo, and then I repeated the whole process again to build up the baklava.
Using the knife that has given me many a battle scar, I cut the uncooked baklava into the classic diamond shapes after a brief chill in the fridge. Then a quick 40 minutes at 350°F and the hot tray of baklava was ready for a shower of cinnamon-steeped honey simple syrup.
A solo sleepover party on the counter, and this baby was ready to be devoured.
And just in case you were wondering, finally, baklava is definitely NOT a balalaika.
You see, these two also might trip you up, but, dear one, you'd be wrong. Baklava is the lasagna of desserts, while a balalaika will give you calluses on your fingies and would definitely hurt on the way down.
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And just in case you were itching to see it, here's the whole shebang:
Anywho, go on and get some baklava as soon as possible. If you're a go-getter, then make your own, and throw some nutella or macadamia-cinnamon-chocolate sauce in the mix! There's currently not a shortage of baklava, but you never know what's in store for tomorrow and you'd definitely perish without it.
Safety first, kids.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, go ahead and check out my blog.
All content and photos by @jaymorebeet, taken on July 21 and 22, 2017 with a Canon EOS 7D Mark II, unless source is listed.