The baklava I made turned out well and I am going to make another batch to
take to the party I am going to. AB's recipe is a bit fussy, I think, and I
looked online to see if I could find a slightly less fussy one. The reason I
tried AB's recipe first is that I have made many recipes from "Good Eats,"
and they have turned out quite well. The one posted here a few days ago is
probably the least fussy of them all. However, I was wondering a few things
from perhaps more experienced baklava coks:

AB's recipe calls for letting the layered and baked phyllo dough-nut mixture
cool completely, at least 2 hours, before putting on the honey sauce, but
another recipe that I found calls for putting in on while the baked mixture
is still hot. Which is better, or is it just the preference of whoever
wrote the recipe, and doesn't really matter.

Every recipe I saw said to cut it before baking. I imagine that is to
provide channels for the sauce to run through, but if it is for that reason,
why can that not be done after the baking, but before the sauce is ladled
on?

Any recipe I found calls for lots of butter, and some specify unsalted
butter, but AB's recipe specifically calls for clarified butter. Is there
any advantage in making clarified butter?

Brian Christiansen

"Brian Christiansen" > wrote in message
...
> The baklava I made turned out well and I am going to make another batch to
> take to the party I am going to.

I imagine you must like baklava. I find it dead sweet and heavy.

Brian Christiansen wrote:

> The baklava I made turned out well and I am going to make another batch to
> take to the party I am going to. AB's recipe is a bit fussy, I think, and I
> looked online to see if I could find a slightly less fussy one. The reason I
> tried AB's recipe first is that I have made many recipes from "Good Eats,"
> and they have turned out quite well. The one posted here a few days ago is
> probably the least fussy of them all. However, I was wondering a few things
> from perhaps more experienced baklava coks:
>
> AB's recipe calls for letting the layered and baked phyllo dough-nut mixture
> cool completely, at least 2 hours, before putting on the honey sauce, but
> another recipe that I found calls for putting in on while the baked mixture
> is still hot. Which is better, or is it just the preference of whoever
> wrote the recipe, and doesn't really matter.
>
> Every recipe I saw said to cut it before baking. I imagine that is to
> provide channels for the sauce to run through, but if it is for that reason,
> why can that not be done after the baking, but before the sauce is ladled
> on?
>
> Any recipe I found calls for lots of butter, and some specify unsalted
> butter, but AB's recipe specifically calls for clarified butter. Is there
> any advantage in making clarified butter?


Normally you want the water out so your phyllo stays crisp.

--
Reg

"Brian Christiansen" > wrote in message
...
> The baklava I made turned out well and I am going to make another batch to
> take to the party I am going to. AB's recipe is a bit fussy, I think, and
> I looked online to see if I could find a slightly less fussy one. The
> reason I tried AB's recipe first is that I have made many recipes from
> "Good Eats," and they have turned out quite well. The one posted here a
> few days ago is probably the least fussy of them all. However, I was
> wondering a few things from perhaps more experienced baklava coks:
>
> AB's recipe calls for letting the layered and baked phyllo dough-nut
> mixture cool completely, at least 2 hours, before putting on the honey
> sauce, but another recipe that I found calls for putting in on while the
> baked mixture is still hot. Which is better, or is it just the preference
> of whoever wrote the recipe, and doesn't really matter.
>
> Every recipe I saw said to cut it before baking. I imagine that is to
> provide channels for the sauce to run through, but if it is for that
> reason, why can that not be done after the baking, but before the sauce is
> ladled on?
>
> Any recipe I found calls for lots of butter, and some specify unsalted
> butter, but AB's recipe specifically calls for clarified butter. Is there
> any advantage in making clarified butter?
>
> Brian Christiansen
I'd always thought that cutting before baking (at least scoring deeply) was
so that when finished, the item (or the top, presentation part) wouldn't
shatter into flakes when cut.
I'd like to know as well.
Janet

Brian Christiansen wrote:
> The baklava I made turned out well and I am going to make another batch to

>
> Any recipe I found calls for lots of butter, and some specify unsalted
> butter, but AB's recipe specifically calls for clarified butter. Is there
> any advantage in making clarified butter?

You want just the fat from the butter, not the milk solids. The butter
gives it that nice crispy texture..... which you later douse with the
syrup.

On 2009-12-12, Brian Christiansen > wrote:

> The baklava I made turned out well and I am going to make another
> batch....

Try it with some cardamom. Even Allah will bless you.

nb

On Sat, 12 Dec 2009 03:48:57 -0500, "cybercat" >
wrote:

>
>"Brian Christiansen" > wrote in message
...
>> The baklava I made turned out well and I am going to make another batch to
>> take to the party I am going to.
>
>I imagine you must like baklava. I find it dead sweet and heavy.
>
You can't go back to commercial after you've made your own.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

sf wrote:

>> "Brian Christiansen" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> The baklava I made turned out well and I am going to make another batch to
>>> take to the party I am going to.
>> I imagine you must like baklava. I find it dead sweet and heavy.
>>
> You can't go back to commercial after you've made your own.

Buying it can be a real crap shoot. Some is on the dry side and not
terribly sweet, and some can be well soaked and incredibly sweet.
Sometimes there is a thick layer of nuts, and sometimes it is thin.
Making your own allows you to make the style you want. Once you have a
little experience working with phyllo pastry it is not a big deal. You
just prepare the filling and the syrup and melt the butter and. Lay down
the laywere of pastry, brushing them, sprinkle the nut filling around,
add more pastry and butter, score the top layer, then bake it, remove it
from the oven and pour on the syrup. It is not terribly complicates.
It's just a little intimidating to work with phyllo for the first time.
After that, it's a breeze.

On 12/12/2009 10:05, sf wrote:
> On Sat, 12 Dec 2009 03:48:57 -0500, >
> wrote:
>
>>
>> "Brian > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> The baklava I made turned out well and I am going to make another batch to
>>> take to the party I am going to.
>>
>> I imagine you must like baklava. I find it dead sweet and heavy.
>>
> You can't go back to commercial after you've made your own.
>

Depends, the industrial stuff you can get from the various online gift
places or at the big box mart is pretty bad.

If not inclined to make it you just need to find one of the little
family owned Greek bakeries that put their souls into making good food
to get good baklava.

On Dec 12, 8:04*am, George > wrote:
> On 12/12/2009 10:05, sf wrote:
>
> > On Sat, 12 Dec 2009 03:48:57 -0500, >
> > wrote:
>
> >> "Brian > *wrote in message
> ...
> >>> The baklava I made turned out well and I am going to make another batch to
> >>> take to the party I am going to.
>
> >> I imagine you must like baklava. I find it dead sweet and heavy.
>
> > You can't go back to commercial after you've made your own.
>
> Depends, the industrial stuff you can get from the various online gift
> places or at the big box mart is pretty bad.
>
> If not inclined to make it you just need to find one of the little
> family owned Greek bakeries that put their souls into making good food
> to get good baklava.

or Armenian.

Harriet & critters in rainy, cool socal.

On 12/11/2009 10:25 PM, Brian Christiansen wrote:
> The baklava I made turned out well and I am going to make another batch to
> take to the party I am going to. AB's recipe is a bit fussy, I think, and I
> looked online to see if I could find a slightly less fussy one. The reason I
> tried AB's recipe first is that I have made many recipes from "Good Eats,"
> and they have turned out quite well. The one posted here a few days ago is
> probably the least fussy of them all. However, I was wondering a few things
> from perhaps more experienced baklava coks:
>
> AB's recipe calls for letting the layered and baked phyllo dough-nut mixture
> cool completely, at least 2 hours, before putting on the honey sauce, but
> another recipe that I found calls for putting in on while the baked mixture
> is still hot. Which is better, or is it just the preference of whoever
> wrote the recipe, and doesn't really matter.

I don't care much for AB methods - they are impractical. I can't say
what his reason for cooling before pouring the syrup since I've never
done it that way. Don't worry about it - just pour while it's hot.

>
> Every recipe I saw said to cut it before baking. I imagine that is to
> provide channels for the sauce to run through, but if it is for that reason,
> why can that not be done after the baking, but before the sauce is ladled
> on?

You can't cut it after cooking as it'll be too brittle and you'll have a
big mess. This is just a guess cause I've never done that either.

>
> Any recipe I found calls for lots of butter, and some specify unsalted
> butter, but AB's recipe specifically calls for clarified butter. Is there
> any advantage in making clarified butter?

I've just used regular butter - it comes out fine. My suggestion it that
you ditch ABs recipe as it's not very good. In fact, ditch most of his
laughable, contrived recipes.

I used to cut my baklava into diamond shapes - hopefully you're doing
this. My understanding is that mostly the Greek bakers will use a sugar
syrup with no honey. You might want to investigate this.

I used to make baklava years ago and have a friend that will still greet
me by saying "where's my baklava?" My response is "I just made you a
batch, it's in the car!" The truth is that I don't make that kind of
stuff anymore but if you continue to bake this for other people, you
might get greeted with "where's my baklava?!" :-)

>
> Brian Christiansen
>
>

dsi1 wrote:

>> AB's recipe calls for letting the layered and baked phyllo dough-nut
>> mixture
>> cool completely, at least 2 hours, before putting on the honey sauce, but
>> another recipe that I found calls for putting in on while the baked
>> mixture
>> is still hot. Which is better, or is it just the preference of whoever
>> wrote the recipe, and doesn't really matter.
>
> I don't care much for AB methods - they are impractical. I can't say
> what his reason for cooling before pouring the syrup since I've never
> done it that way. Don't worry about it - just pour while it's hot.

Every recipe I have tried says to pour cooled syrup on hot baklava.



> You can't cut it after cooking as it'll be too brittle and you'll have a
> big mess. This is just a guess cause I've never done that either.

It would be a mess. The top layers are easily cut while they are still
moist and lathered with butter. After they cook they would crumble. The
bottom are moist from the syrup and can be cut after cooking.



> I used to cut my baklava into diamond shapes - hopefully you're doing
> this. My understanding is that mostly the Greek bakers will use a sugar
> syrup with no honey. You might want to investigate this.

Sugar syrup is a lot cheaper than honey. It is hard to make a profit on
the stuff when you use honey, especially when the much cheaper sugar has
been infused with things like lemon, honey cinnamon and other spices.

Years ago I used to get Baklava from a place at the St. Lawrence Market
in Toronto. It used to sit in a tray of honey.

On 12/12/2009 11:51 AM, Dave Smith wrote:
> dsi1 wrote:
>
>>> AB's recipe calls for letting the layered and baked phyllo dough-nut
>>> mixture
>>> cool completely, at least 2 hours, before putting on the honey sauce,
>>> but
>>> another recipe that I found calls for putting in on while the baked
>>> mixture
>>> is still hot. Which is better, or is it just the preference of whoever
>>> wrote the recipe, and doesn't really matter.
>>
>> I don't care much for AB methods - they are impractical. I can't say
>> what his reason for cooling before pouring the syrup since I've never
>> done it that way. Don't worry about it - just pour while it's hot.
>
> Every recipe I have tried says to pour cooled syrup on hot baklava.

My mistake, I meant pour on the syrup while the baklava is hot, not
while the syrup is hot. :-)

>
>
>
>> You can't cut it after cooking as it'll be too brittle and you'll have
>> a big mess. This is just a guess cause I've never done that either.
>
> It would be a mess. The top layers are easily cut while they are still
> moist and lathered with butter. After they cook they would crumble. The
> bottom are moist from the syrup and can be cut after cooking.
>
>
>
>> I used to cut my baklava into diamond shapes - hopefully you're doing
>> this. My understanding is that mostly the Greek bakers will use a
>> sugar syrup with no honey. You might want to investigate this.
>
> Sugar syrup is a lot cheaper than honey. It is hard to make a profit on
> the stuff when you use honey, especially when the much cheaper sugar has
> been infused with things like lemon, honey cinnamon and other spices.
>
> Years ago I used to get Baklava from a place at the St. Lawrence Market
> in Toronto. It used to sit in a tray of honey.

Brian Christiansen wrote:

>
> Every recipe I saw said to cut it before baking. I imagine that is to
> provide channels for the sauce to run through, but if it is for that reason,
> why can that not be done after the baking, but before the sauce is ladled
> on?
>


After baking the phyllo is very crisp and shatters when you try
to cut it. If you cut before baking it looks a lot nicer and you
don't get shards of broken crust everywhere.

gloria p

Janet Bostwick wrote:
> "Brian Christiansen" > wrote in message
> ...
>> The baklava I made turned out well and I am going to make another batch to
>> take to the party I am going to. AB's recipe is a bit fussy, I think, and
>> I looked online to see if I could find a slightly less fussy one. The
>> reason I tried AB's recipe first is that I have made many recipes from
>> "Good Eats," and they have turned out quite well. The one posted here a
>> few days ago is probably the least fussy of them all. However, I was
>> wondering a few things from perhaps more experienced baklava coks:
>>
>> AB's recipe calls for letting the layered and baked phyllo dough-nut
>> mixture cool completely, at least 2 hours, before putting on the honey
>> sauce, but another recipe that I found calls for putting in on while the
>> baked mixture is still hot. Which is better, or is it just the preference
>> of whoever wrote the recipe, and doesn't really matter.
>>
>> Every recipe I saw said to cut it before baking. I imagine that is to
>> provide channels for the sauce to run through, but if it is for that
>> reason, why can that not be done after the baking, but before the sauce is
>> ladled on?
>>
>> Any recipe I found calls for lots of butter, and some specify unsalted
>> butter, but AB's recipe specifically calls for clarified butter. Is there
>> any advantage in making clarified butter?
>>
>> Brian Christiansen
> I'd always thought that cutting before baking (at least scoring deeply) was
> so that when finished, the item (or the top, presentation part) wouldn't
> shatter into flakes when cut.
> I'd like to know as well.
> Janet

You have to cut it before baking. Doing it afterward would
result in the top layers breaking up as you speculated.

Kate

--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?