BAKLAVA:
1 lb. walnut meats, or almonds, ground
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 lb. fila
1 lb. butter, melted and clarified
Whole cloves (optional)
Syrup
Combine coarsely ground walnuts with sugar and cinnamon.
Set aside. Line bottom of butter pan, 9" x 12" with
10 to 12 fila, brushing each with melted butter. Sprinkle
with thin layer of nut mixture. Cover with 3 fila,
brushing each with melted butter. Sprinkle more nut
mixture and repeat process until all nut mixture is
used. Then cover with 4 fila and cover with remaining
butter. Chill 25 minutes. Cut pastry into small diamond
shapes. Brush again with melted butter. Insert whole
cloves in center of each piece. Bake in slow over 325
degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. When slightly browned,
remove from oven; slowly pour enough cooled syrup over
hot Baklava until completely absorbed.
Syrup:3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 cup honey
Combine sugar, water, and lemon juice. Boil 10 minutes.
Slowly add honey and simmer 5 minutes.
Hints:
When placing bottom fila in pan, allow 2 or 3 fila
to overhang slightly over sides of pan, brushing edges
with butter. Cut remaining file to size of pan; continue
as directed in recipe until last row of nuts is in
place. Fold extended file into pan, brushing top with
butter. Finish with remaining fila as directed.
To bake, place Baklava in lower third of oven during
first half of baking time, then place on middle rack.
If pastry browns too soon, cover loosely with brown
paper or tinfoil; finish baking.
Before pouring syrup over Baklava; pastry should be
hot and syrup cold. Pour slowly until enough syrup
is absorbed. Some syrup may remain. When completely
cooled, cover pan with tinfoil. (NEVER use plastic
wrap as it softens crust.) Allow to stand 24 hours
before cutting again and removing pieces from pan.
To clarify butter: Heat butter in saucepan until bubbly.
Skim salty foam from surface to clear butter. Discard
foam.
How to handle fila: To defrost, leave box of fila in
refrigerator overnight or at room temperature 1 hour.
Never allow fila to be exposed to air. Unfold package
of fila, place on waxed paper. Cover with more waxed
paper and damp dish towel to prevent fila from drying
and cracking while preparing pastry.
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KOURABIEDES:
1 lb. sweet butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 egg yolk
1 jigger whiskey
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
6 tbl. sp. toasted almonds, chopped fine
4 cups sifted flour
3 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
Beat butter and sugar until creamy, about 15 minutes.
Add egg yolk, flavorings and almonds, beating until
well blended. Remove from beater and gradually add
sifted flour to make a soft dough.
Pinch off pieces of dough and shape carefully into
various designs - crescent, round, etc.. Place on ungreased
cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Bake in over at 350 degrees
for 20 minutes or until very lightly browned. Allow
to cool slightly before removing from baking sheet.
Carefully place on flat surface, which was been sprinkled
with confectioner's sugar. Spring confectioner's sugar
over cookies. Cool. Makes 5 dozen.
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KOULOURAKIA:
1 1/2 cups butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
5 1/2 cups sifted flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
4 tbl. sp. water
2 tsp. vanilla
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy in electric mixer.
Beat in eggs and flavorings. Add water to mixture together
with remaining flour. Knead slightly. Pinch off pieces
of dough and roll into pencil-thin strips about 6 inches
long, fold in half and twist into a rope. Place 1 inch
apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bruch with beaten
egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds or decorate with
cherries, nuts or colored sugar. Bake in over at 350
degrees for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Makes about 7 dozen.
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BAKED HALVA:
1/2 lb. butter
1 cup sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped almonds
2 cups cream of wheat
1/4 tsp. salt
Cream butter and sugar with electric mixer for 15 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients, folding in stiffly beaten
egg whites last. Pour into 9" x 13" greased
baking pan.
Baked in oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cut in
squares. Top with warm syrup before halva cools. Cover
and let stand until syrup is absorbed. Makes 35 squares.
Syrup:
2 cups sugar
3 cups water
1 tbs. lemon juice
Boil sugar, water and lemon juice together for 2 minutes;
remove from heat. (Syrup will be very thin.)
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LOUKOUMADES (Honey
Puffs):
2 eggs
1 cup milk
3/4 tsp. salt
2 1/4 cups sifted flour
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla
3 tbs. sugar
4 heaping tsp. baking powder
Oil for frying
Beat eggs until light and fluffy. Mix in remaining
ingredients, adding baking powder last. Drop by scant
teaspoonfuls into hot oil. Cook until golden brown.
Serve hot with syrup, cinnamon, nuts or toasted sesame
seeds. Makes about 50.
Syrup:
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
5 tbs. honey
Boil sugar and water together to make a medium syrup.
Add honey and blend well.
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KARITHATA (Sands):
1/2 lb. butter
9 tsp. confectioner's sugar
2 tbs. ice water
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups flour
Beat butter with sugar for 15 minutes. Add water, vanilla,
pecans and sifted flour. Knead slightly. Shape with
cookie cutter. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet in oven
at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Cookies will be
firm and slightly browned.
Remove from pan and place on clean surface which has
been sprinkled with confectioner's sugar. Spring confectioner's
sugar over cookies. Allow to cool. Makes about 30.
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