It never ceases to amaze me how you can have two days with temeratures in the high 40's - low 50's and wake up on Monday and it is 15!!! New England, gotta love it.
I had a nice mellow week-end. On Saturday, sister Carol and I went to Wallyworld so she could pick up some yarn and I could make a payment on my "New Diamond Ring". I can't wait to get it. It is sooo purty! We were coming out the door and spied a bake sail going on. I hadn't had anything to eat yet so I checked out my cash. I never carry cash. It is far to easy to spend. I had a grand total of $2.80. I checked out what they had and wasn't real impressed until one of the ladies spoke up and said, "We have Baklava over here." BAKLAVA!! BAKLAVA!! Hold on to me, I am breaking out in sweats! I absolutely LOVE that stuff. I asked how much it was and she told me that for $4.00 I could get a plate with four pieces on it. I don't know if you are familiar with it, but it is a Greek pastry. A "piece" measures about 2 inches square if you're lucky. Why is it so expensive? Because this is the recipe:
I got this recipe from gogreece.com
Here's a Baklava recipe that uses standard measurements. The trickiest part is coping with the filo dough, which can be bought frozen in many markets. A decent substitute would be frozen strudel dough. I really don't recommend making your own.
1 pound unsalted (sweet) butter, melted (It really has to be butter, not a substitute)
1 pound filo dough sheets
1.5 pounds (24 ounces) chopped blanched almonds
1 pound shelled walnuts
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice or cloves
Thaw the filo before starting. Melt the butter.
Grind or chop together the walnuts and almonds, and mix together with the cinnamon, allspice or cloves, and sugar. Using a rectangular pan, preferably a 9x13x2, brush the pan with the melted butter. Separate a sheet of the thawed filo. Handling it as little as possible, lay a sheet in the bottom of the pan. Brush it with butter. Fold it over if necessary to fit in the pan. Do this until you have about 10-12 layers. Then put a layer of the nuts and spices mixture on top of the sheet of filo, cover with a other sheet of filo, paint that with butter, and continue in this manner until you've used all of your filling. Top with about an equal amount of the filo sheets as you used for the bottom. If you're a little short or a little over, don't worry about it. Too many layers can get a bit gummy, however. Be sure each sheet is brushed with butter.
Cut across the completed baklava with a sharp knife, into triangles or diamonds. Bake at 350 for about an hour, or until evenly browned on top - think a nice golden color like some of the sunsets you saw in Greece.
Pour the cooled syrup (recipe below) over it and let it sit before serving. If you can bear to.
If you are like me, by the end of this I have filo dough in my hair and nuts stuck to me with honey syrup.
Syrup
2 cups honey (did you bring back any from Greece? shame on you if you didn't!)
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
2 cinnamon sticks (or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
1 teaspoon grated orange peel (or to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or to taste) (Optional)
Simmer together the syrup ingredients for ten minutes and strain. Set aside. A good time to make this is just after you've put the baklava into the oven.
That's why.
I told the lady that I didn't have enough change for it and she asked how much I had. I told her and she let me have it anyway!!! I held it to me tightly as Carol and I walked to the truck. I hid it from the outside world, lest it be snatched away. My God, you would have thought I just scoffed the Hope diamond! We got into the truck and I giggled like a schoolgirl showing Carol what I had bought. She had never heard of it. I couldn't believe it. I thought everyone knew what Baklava was.
I handed her a piece and we sat there eating it. She loved it too. That left me with two pieces. We have each got a husband. I told her I was taking one hime to Terry, but since there was only two left and BIL Bob didn't know I had it, oh well. He loses. Yes, I selfeshly kept the last one for me. Terry ate his when I brought it home. The other one is sitting in a place of honor on top of the microwave. He asked last night if I had eaten it. Nope. Maybe tonight. Maybe tomorrow. Something so priceless can't be shoved down the throat like a common Milky Way or Snickers. It has to be anticipated and savoured. That stuff gives you foodgasms, I swear! Love my Baklava.
Lori and the girls came for dinner yesterday and visited. I make a pork roast and there were no leftovers. I love to see the girls eat, and eat they did.
We veged out last night to the TV and I was zonked by 11:00. A very nice baklava, I mean weekend.
