Pairs perfectly with J. Lohr Late Harvest White Riesling
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Orange Blossom Baklava
“My mom used to make baklava, but would do it the classic way with butter, honey, walnuts, and rosewater. I like to experiment a bit and love this variation with ghee (for a richer flavor, but butter works, too!), a dash of orange blossom water, and ground pistachio on top for color. Remember that phyllo dries out quickly, so keep it in the packaging or under a clean tea towel until you’re ready to use. Most importantly, remind your guests that dessert has a separate compartment. And with a wine pairing like J. Lohr Late Harvest White Riesling? Well, there’s always room for dessert.” - Lawrence Lohr, President & COO, Vineyards
Yields: 20 pieces
Ingredients:
Syrup:
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 oz. lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. orange blossom water
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
Baklava:
- 14 oz. walnuts, about 3 1/2 cup
- 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 tsp. orange zest
- 1 cup ghee, melted
- 16 oz. package phyllo dough, thawed according to package (14 x 18 sheets)
- Garnish: 1/4 cup ground pistachio and 2 tsp orange zest
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F and brush a 14" x 9" pan with melted ghee.
- Make syrup: In a pot over medium high heat, stir water and sugar together, then bring to a boil. Add lemon juice and reduce to medium heat. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely. Stir in orange blossom water and salt.
- Prepare filling: Place walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, and orange zest in food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
- Melt ghee and set aside.
- Layer baklava: The phyllo dough will be twice as long as your pan, so fold a sheet in half and lay it in pan. Brush with ghee. Repeat with four more sheets of phyllo (so you’ll have 10 total layers). Evenly spread half of the nut mixture on top of phyllo, then top with five more folded phyllo sheets (10 more layers), brushing each with melted ghee. Add the remaining nut mixture and then add the remaining folded phyllo sheets on top (probably about 5 left), brushing each with melted ghee, including the top layer.
- With a sharp knife, cut the raw baklava into diamonds then bake for 50-60 minutes until the top is golden.
- Remove from oven and immediately pour cooled syrup all over baklava, followed by ground pistachio (if using) and extra orange zest. Let sit for 1 hour before serving.