Baklava . . .

Ok. I made this baklava on tuesday, and it has been a huge hit! Right now, I'm making a potato salad, with lots of twists, while watching Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, and staying at home on yet another friday night. After work, I went to the gym and had a pretty good workout. But now, it's quality time with my doggie.

It is so hard to meet anyone if you're not going out to bars et alia. Single men don't shop, so I can't meet them at work. My friends don't have a lot of potentials ~ either married or robbing the cradle. It's just very frustrating, especially because I can't afford to go out. And if I could afford to go out, I would. And I'd have the chance of meeting someone. But hey . . . eventually things will work out.

And, since there is really nothing to talk about on the dating scene, here's the cherry chocolate baklava. With pistachios (instead of walnuts).

Baklava is a Greek desert, and the authentic Greek recipe I have uses walnuts and honey. Since honey isn't Vegan, and walnuts aren't my favorite, I decided to tinker with things a little bit. I had seen a recipe using pistachios, and I had seen a recipe using chocolate. So, I thought I'd try a few different things. I think cashews might actually be a good nut to use as well - it's meaty yet open to flavor.

16oz bag pistachios, coarsely chopped
8 oz phyllo dough
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves

4 to 5 tbsp margarine, melted
pastry brush
1 square, semi-sweet baking chocolate
cheese grater

syrup (recipe to follow)

Mix coarsely chopped nuts, sugar (brown sugar might taste bette than white sugar, but I didn't have brown sugar in my pantry), cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves in a bowl. Set aside.

Pre-heat oven to 350 F.

In an 8x8 pan, use the pastry brush to brush the sides and bottom with the melted margarine. Then, start one pastry sheet at a time, placing them in the pan, making sure the dough goes up the sides. Most phyllo dough is rectangular, so I usually alternate long in one direction then the next direction, hence one sheet at a time. Every 2 sheets, brush with margarine. At the 4th sheet, sprinkle evenly the nut mixture. Using the cheese grater, grate the block of chocolate over the nut mixture. Two layers of phyllo dough. Brush with margarine. Grate chocolate. Two more layers of dough. Nut mixture. Grate chocolate. Dough. Etc. . .

Try to finish with four layers of dough on top. Chocolate grated atop that. Fold the over-hanging edges of dough, so a crust-edge forms. Cut into diagonal squares.

Bake until golden brown, at 350 degrees farenheit. About 50 to 55 minutes.

ok . . . the syrup . . .

1 16 oz jar Maraschino cherries
1 cup sugar

Drain the juice from the maraschino cherries. Top off with water to equal 1 full cup. (Shouldn't be more than 1/4 to 1/8th of a cup). In a saucepan, heat maraschino liquid and add the cup of sugar. Stir well, dissolving sugar.

When the baklava is ready out of the oven, pull out. Pour syrup over top. Let sit for a few minutes. You'll need to re-cut the diagonals (and when you see how hard it is now, you'll be happy you pre-cut them!)


Ok, long recipe, I know. But it's definately worth it. I shall talk to ya later. And if the potato salad comes out, you'll have that recipe next.

in any case . . .

slainte . . .

Mulu :>))