Hailing from the sun-soaked plains of Turkey, this decadently sweet and easy-to-make pastry is a great treat to have at social gatherings or on cozy nights watching Netflix. Although the history of baklava is not well documented, there is evidence that its current form was developed about 500 years ago in the imperial kitchens of the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. The Sultan presented trays of baklava to his elite guard – the Janissaries – every 15th of the month of Ramadan in a ceremonial procession called the Baklava Alayi. 

Baklava is normally prepared in large pans. Many layers of phyllo dough, separated with melted butter and vegetable oil, are laid in the pan. A layer of chopped nuts—typically walnuts or pistachios, but hazelnuts are also sometimes used—is placed on top, then more layers of phyllo. Most recipes have multiple layers of phyllo and nuts, though some have only top and bottom pastry.

Before baking (360 °F, 30 minutes), the dough is cut into regular pieces, often parallelograms, triangles, diamonds or rectangles. After baking, a syrup, which may include honey, rosewater, or orange flower water is poured over the cooked baklava and allowed to soak in. Baklava is usually served at room temperature and often garnished with ground nuts, powdered sugar, or more honey-syrup.

Whether you’re visiting a country that makes any version of baklava or you see the pastry on a menu somewhere, I urge you to try it at least once. The crunchy outer layer combined with the soft, gooey center make for a culinary lesson in perfecting a balance in texture and the sweetness of fresh honey and chopped pistachios make for a potent blend in taste.

Ingredients List:

1 lb of chopped, mixed nuts

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1 (16 oz) package of phyllo dough

1 cup of melted butter

1 cup of white sugar

1 cup of water

1/2 cup of honey

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 teaspoon of grated lemon zest