Read the Comments before you commit to this one!
This came from my friend and co-worker Renee Brenner. It has a great story attached to it and it is an authentic family recipe from Greece.
If you like Mediterranean stuff – you might want to check out America’s Test Kitchen Complete Mediterranean Cookbook.
Ingredients:
The Pastry
- 1 lb walnuts finely chopped (I used to use my mom’s coffee grinder… but you all can figure this one out)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 cubes butter or margarine
- 1 pkg filo dough (most packages come with 2 wrapped sets of dough… you’ll need both, but not all, prepare to discard some of it – If this is your first time working with this stuff, you might want to pick up an extra package just in case. )
- Whole cloves
- Basting brush
The Syrup
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 cups honey
- 3-6 whole cloves
- 1-3 cinnamon sticks
- Large deep pan (after you add the honey, it foams and takes on a life of it’s own… I’ve had it boil over a couple times and it’s quite the sticky mess to clean up) so make sure the pan is deep.
Directions:
The Pastry
- Mix walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl and mix well with spoon or fork
- melt butter in a saucepan or in a microwave-safe bowl
- Take a 13x9x2 pan, butter the bottom and sides; place 1 sheet of filo on the bottom of the pan, butter the filo with basting brush, add another filo sheet, butter, another sheet, butter… (approx. 6 layers); the 6th one, do not butter. Sprinkle nuts across the filo, cover nuts with filo, butter, filo, no butter, nuts, filo, butter, filo, no butter, … continue until the nut mixture is gone… then filo, butter, filo, butter, filo, butter, about 6 layers again.
- Preheat oven to 350
- Cutting preliminary lines: (putting this part in words is gonna be tricky LOL) cut the top couple layers gently, do not go all the way through… first length-wise in fourths…. I usually do the middle cut first, then put equal cuts on either side; then diagonal cuts. The goal is to have primarily diamond shaped pieces. I am attaching a picture with a rough drawing of the end result.
- Put a whole clove in each diamond piece… sometimes I put one in the larger of the end pieces as well.
- Place in oven and let cook for about 40 minutes
- Remove it and let it cool while making the syrup
The Syrup
- Put water, sugar, cloves, and cinnamon sticks in the pan and bring to a boil. Let it boil for 5 minutes.
- Add the honey and bring it to a boil again. Use a spoon to remove the foam from the surface. When it thickens, turn off the burner.
- Remove cinnamon sticks and cloves.
- Once boiling stops pour over cooled pastry. I usually use a measuring cup and distribute the syrup in different areas of the pastry to make sure all pieces get soaked. You may or may not want to use all the syrup. It depends if you want it dripping or just thoroughly soaked. I usually pour enough syrup that it comes halfway up the sides.
- Let the pastry cool thoroughly with the syrup. Complete the cuts when cold.
Comments:
- Do not eat the cloves!
- This is not a dish you just slap together.
- It is easily a 3-hour process. Filo dough is a very delicate ingredient. Once you start that part of the process you need to avoid interruptions. Once you open the package, the clock starts ticking… when it starts drying out, it will disintegrate rather quickly, and becomes worthless.
- If you get too much syrup, you can remove the pieces and set on a plate with paper towels and let some excess soak up… I’ve had to do that a couple times.
- Best if left overnight to thoroughly absorb.