We especially love the syrup made with orange blossom extract, available in Middle Eastern grocery stores, although vanilla extract works as well.
Prep Time:25 minutes
Cook Time:25 minutes
Total Time:50 minutes
Yield:24 pieces 1x
Ingredients
Scale
Baklava
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch of salt
1 stick butter, melted, divided
3 tablespoons honey
12 sheets phyllo dough
Honey Syrup
1/2 C water
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract or orange blossom extract
Instructions
Special equipment: 2 mini-muffin tins
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the almonds, walnuts, apricots, bread crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt in a food processor.
Run the machine until the mixture is very finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the melted butter and the honey and stir to combine.
On a dry work surface place 1 sheet of phyllo. Using a pastry brush and the remaining melted butter, lightly cover the entire sheet of phyllo with melted butter. Cover the first sheet with a second sheet of phyllo and brush with melted butter. Continue until there is a stack of 6 sheets of phyllo. Cut the stacked phyllo rectangle into 12 equal pieces (Cut lengthwise into 4 pieces and widthwise into 3 pieces.)
Gently press each cut piece of phyllo into the mini-muffin tin cups.
Press 1 tablespoon of the nut mixture into each of the phyllo cups.
Gather the ends of each of the phyllo squares and twist to make a purse shape. Continue shaping the remaining purses in the other mini-muffin tin.
Bake until the edges of the phyllo are golden, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it.
Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.