Chocolate Baklava
Chocolate Baklava with Hazelnuts,
Orange Blossom Water and Honey
Serves 24
For Nut Filling: 1 lb. unsalted and roasted hazelnuts, chopped 1 lb. semi sweet mini chocolate chips 1 tbsp. orange blossom water 2/3 cup granulated sugar ½ cup ground hazelnuts (for garnish)
Clarifying Butter: 1 lb. unsalted butter In a saucepan, melt the butter on low heat, until it begins to boil, skim the foam and remove from heat.
For Phyllo Dough: 24 sheets Phyllo dough 3” pastry brush kitchen towel 9” by 14” baking dish
For Syrup: ¾ cup water 1 cup sugar 1 cup honey Juice of ½ lemon 2 tbsp. orange blossom water
1. Combine hazelnuts, orange blossom water, and sugar and put in a food processor, chop coarsely add in chocolate, mix and set aside. 2. Unwrap the phyllo dough and place it on a flat surface. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel to prevent the phyllo dough from drying out. 3. Coat the baking pan with butter and place a layer of phyllo dough then brush with butter one at a time. Continue brushing and layering until the 6th layer. Spread a third of the nut mixture all over the phyllo. Continue layering and brushing another 6 layers of phyllo with butter one at a time. Then spread another third of the nut mixture all over the phyllo. Continue layering and brushing another 6 layers, add the remaining third layer of nuts and butter the remaining 6 phyllo sheets. 4. Make 3 cuts across dough approximately 3 ½ inches lengthwise and 2 cuts 3 ¼ inches across the width. Cut diagonally across each square, making 24 individual triangular sections (optional- cut lengthwise and widthwise diagonally to make diamond shapes). Pour the remaining butter all over the pastry and bake for 1 hour at 325 degrees. 5. While the baklava is baking, make the syrup. 6. In a sauce pan put water, sugar, lemon juice and bring to a boil, occasionally stirring for about 5 minutes until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat add honey, orange blossom water and mix well, place syrup in the refrigerator until baklava is ready. 7. After 1 hour remove the baklava from the oven and pour the cold syrup all over it. Sprinkle pinches of hazelnuts in the middle of each section. Let it cool and serve. Copyright © Ruth Barnes
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