Baklava is a Turkish rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts and sweetened and held together with syrup or honey. It is characteristic of the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire, and is also found in Central and Southwest Asia. In Turkey, baklava is traditionally made by filling between the layers of dough with pistachios, walnuts, almonds (parts of the Aegean Region) or a special preparation called "kaymak" (not to be confused with kaymak). In the Black Sea Region hazelnuts are commonly used as a filling for baklava
Baklava is normally prepared in large pans. Many layers of phyllo dough,separated with melted butter and vegetable oil, are laid in the pan. A layer of chopped nuts, typically walnuts or pistachios, but hazelnuts are also sometimes used is placed on top, then more layers of phyllo. Most recipes have multiple layers of phyllo and nuts, though some have only top and bottom pastry.
Before baking (180 °C, 30 minutes), the dough is cut into regular pieces, often parallelograms (lozenge-shaped), triangles, diamonds or rectangles. After baking, a syrup, which may include honey, rosewater, or orange flower water is poured over the cooked baklava and allowed to soak in. Baklava is usually served at room temperature, often garnished with ground nuts.
Baklava, Turkish traditional pastry
