Pistachio Baklava Recipe (submitted by Dennis Santo Tomas) Baklava goes green with finely crushed pistachios. The addition of a little rose water to the soaking syrup adds an exotic floral note.
INGREDIENTS: • • • • • • • • •
1 pound shelled, unsalted pistachios 1 1/2 cups sugar 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted 1/2 cup canola oil 12 sheets phyllo dough 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup honey 1 teaspoon rose water 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Butter casserole dish. In a food processor, pulse the pistachios with 1/2 cup of the sugar until the nuts are finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and stir in half the butter. Combine the other half cup butter with the canola oil. 2. Stack the phyllo sheets and cut them in half crosswise. Put a half sheet of phyllo in the prepared baking dish and brush lightly with some of the remaining melted butter and canola oil mixture. Repeat with 11 more half sheets of phyllo, buttering each sheet; don't worry if the pastry tears a little. Cover the remaining phyllo with a towel while you work. 3. Spread the pistachio mixture evenly on the stacked phyllo layers in the baking dish. Top with the remaining phyllo sheets, buttering each sheet as above. Using a sharp knife, make diagonal slices 1 1/2 inches apart all the way through the baklava; slice similarly in the opposite direction to make a diamond pattern. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until evenly browned on top. 4. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine the remaining 1 cup of sugar with the water and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring to dissolve; remove from the heat. Stir in the honey, rose water and cardamom. Pour the syrup evenly over the baklava and let cool completely before serving.