Armenian Paklava Recipe

🧂 Ingredients

• 2 boxes Phyllo Dough

  defrosted but chilled
• 1 lb Clarified Butter

  see notes in the article on how to clarify butter
• 2 lb Walnuts
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 2 cups Sugar
• 1 cup Water
• 1/2 Lemon

  juiced
• Pinch of Salt

Instructions

• 1 Place the butter pieces in a heavy-bottomed saucepan or a small skillet. Use a
  pan with a light-colored bottom so you can easily see the changes in the butter
  as it clarifies. Heat the butter over low to medium-low heat.
• 2 As the butter melts, it will start to foam on the surface. This foam is the milk
  solids separating from the butterfat. Use a spoon to gently skim off this foam
  and discard it.
• 3 Continue to cook the butter over low heat, and you will notice that the milk
  solids will settle at the bottom of the pan, and the clear, golden liquid on top
  is the clarified butter. Clarified butter is ready when the liquid becomes
  clear, and you can see a layer of milk solids at the bottom. This usually takes
  about 15-20 minutes. Be careful not to overheat the butter, as it can burn.
• 4 To ensure you remove all the milk solids, strain the clarified butter through a
  fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean container. The solids will be caught
  in the strainer, and you'll be left with pure, clarified butter to use for the
  phyllo dough.
• 5 In a food processor combine the walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, and salt and pulse
  until a fine crumble forms. You do not want this to be to fine that it forms a
  paste so process with caution!
• 6 Prep the area to start by removing the phyllo dough from the packaging. Phyllo
  can tear easily (mine often does but you can make it work- be patient) and also
  dry out quickly so keep plastic wrap or a damp towel near your work area to keep
  it covered.
• 7 Brush a thin layer of the clarified butter across the bottom and sides of the
  baking sheet.
• 8 To cover the bottom of a large baking sheet you will need two sheets total in
  one single layer across the bottom. After placing down the first layer, brush
  the top of the phyllo with butter and repeat the process until you have about 8
  sheets layered (16 in total)
• 9 Next, half of the walnut filling across the bottom of the pan in a nice single
  layer then add two more buttered layers of the phyllo to cover it. Then finish
  it off with the second half of the walnut mixture and cover with another 10
  layers of carefully placed phyllo, brushing with the butter between each layer.
• 10 Let it set up and cut into squares or the classic diagonal shapes (see photos
  and video on how to do this). Bake at 350 F. for 45-55 minutes or until the
  phyllo has puffed up and is golden brown on top.
• 11 While the paklava is baking, make the simple syrup by combing the water, sugar,
  lemon juice and pinch of salt together in a pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for
  10 minutes.
• 12 Remove from the heat and let it fully cool to room temperature (the syrup
  shouldn't be hot when you pour it over the paklava).
• 13 When the paklava is fully baked and golden brown remove it from the oven.
• 14 While the paklava is still hot, carefully pour only half of the simple syrup
  mixture over the sheets of cooked phyllo. Allow it to absorb and sink in and
  slowly continue to add as much is needed (you want it absorb into the phyllo and
  not pool up- sometimes I have extra syrup that I do not need).
• 15 Let it cool completely to room temperature and allow the syrup to set and absorb
  fully. Serve after a few hours or keep covered and stored for up to 7 days.

Nutrition Info