Greek Baklava

Baklava is one of my all time favorite desserts. This was my first time actually making some on my own! I wasn't sure what temp to put the oven on, it wasn't specified, so I put it at 375º, and that was a bit high, my baklava browned within 1/2 hour. So, I recommend 350º or maybe even 325º. The flavor is a bit lemony, next time I would reduce the lemon juice to 3 tablespoons or even 2. It was delicious though! Thank you for posting!

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YUM. As a long time lover of baklava, I hadn't tried making it because I was really intimidated. This year I decided to attempt it for my Christmas cookie trays. I made the recipe according to directions, with a few adjustments based on some of the reviews. The pastry portion I followed according to directions, but discovered on my own (and thought I'd mention it to save others the hassle) "room temperature" melted butter isn't just waiting for the melted butter to cool. If you wait 30-45 minutes after melting it actually thickens and you will only need as much as the recipe calls for (I made 2 pans, the first pan I didn't know about the thickened butter and used about 2 cups, the second I waited for it to thicken and used only the 1 cup). Regarding the syrup portion, I used 1 1/2 c. sugar, 3/4 c. water and 1/2 c. honey. It tastes great however the bottom pastry was a bit soggy, so next time I may use the same ingredients but just only use 2/3 of it. My baklava also only needed about 35-40 minutes in the oven before being golden brown and done perfectly. I used a 13x9x2 pan and it worked out wonderfully, without having to mess around with a lot of folding. Thanks for posting the recipe. It tastes just as good as the baklava I've enjoyed at pastry shops and restaurants.

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Hey,I can make baklava now! Made this for DDs birthday party and everyone wanted to try them. The one in the picture was saved just so I could photograph it ! I had a little trouble with step 9,when I poured the hot syrup over the hot baklava it evaporated very fast, so if you like a more syrupy baklava pour the syrup after five minutes.I managed to burn the bottom,but just a little bit and this made my baklava different,eveyone was going :"What do I taste?"Cinnamon,no.Lemon,no,it's something different. The secret didn't get out. I'll make this for every holiday that requires sweets. Thanks for teaching me how to make baklava!Update: Made it three times in a month! In the last photos I used puff pastry and it still worked.

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Woo-hoo! This is simple and so good. I made this for a Balkan buffet I mysteriously just got put in charge of. Only changes I made: I substituted rose water since I was out of lemons, and sliced it into 36 pieces. Use a good honey (I hear Greek thyme is best; I used orange blossom raw honey).

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This was so good. Making baklava was on my life list, and I did it! :) I followed the recipe exactly except I used my mothers recipe for syrup, basically the same thing except more sugar, less lemon and no honey. (1.5 c sugar, 3/4 c water, 1tsp lemon) It was delicious.

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This was an easy, yet time consuming recipe. The results were fine, but not like any Greek baklava I have had from Greek festivals and from Greek bakeries in Greektown, Detroit. Waaaaay too much lemon. Baklava isn't supposed to be sour! I would maybe use a tablespoon the next time just to cut the sweetness a bit. It is edible, but I was disappointed with how distracting the lemon taste was. I have also been told by my Lebanese sister in law that the butter should have been clarified.

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My boyfriend loves Baklava so we tag teamed this recipe and gave it ago. Very flavorful and he LOVED it. We used a slightly larger pan, which I would vote against next time. Thank you for posting. Made for ZWT 6.

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Where is the option to add 10 stars? Do not make this if you intend to diet any time soon. Unless you're taking it somewhere, because it must be devoured, and it's so good...I'm off the the gym now, thanks a lot haha. No really it's super good. You won't be disappointed.

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This was also my first time making baklava, and it turned out so good! I cut the recipe in half so I can make another batch in the future. They turned out very tasty, although a little tough on the bottom. I'll definitely be making this again. Thanks for sharing!!

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This was my first attempt at making my own baklava and I was very pleased with the results. It's a little time consuming to make, but it wasn't as difficult as I thought it was going to be. I used to work at a Greek restaurant about 15 years ago and they used to make baklava sundaes. I think I would like to try that with this recipe. Made for ZWT4 Family Picks.

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I had always wanted to make this and now I can cross it off my list. This is very good. I took my phyllo and butter over to my neighbor's house and too hands made light the long process of building the flaky layers. I didn't quite have two cups of walnuts so I added in some slivered almonds, too. Tasted great. Fun to pour the honey lemon mix over the hot baklava....SIZZLE SIZZLE! I also must show some restraint as I may have eaten more than is proper and given myself a tummy ache. LOL. I shared it with two girlfriends who agreed it was excellent. Thanks you! Made for my Babes for ZWT4.

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RITA...This was soo good. It's worth every layer! (I have GOT to control myself and not eat 4 or 5 pices....) I made this as I just COULD NOT visit Greece during the ZWT4 and not have baklava. It's so much one of my very favorites! Thank you!

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The end result was so delicious I didnt even mind the tedious prep work!

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This was great, I made it some time ago for some friends and family and it was a complete success, it turned out marvelously. The taste is actually quite nice, but you have to love honey and not eat more than one piece per evening. As for the melted butter, I recommend using butter (or other fat) that solidifies quite quickly (so definitely no oil), it makes it very easy to assemble the layers of phyllo pastry. The fat will form a protective layer while assembling the pastry and the pastry won't get soft. The recipe calls for quite a long resting period and I would definitely observe it, I served it after only a few hours and while it was quite nice it was a bit better the following day (after that it went downhill btw).

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I did not care for this at all. The flavor tasted like stale coffee to me.

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This was delicious even though I made a mistake - I forgot to cut it before I baked it. It would be much easier to cook before it is baked. The flavor is lovely, though.

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GREAT recipe for baklava that does not overwhelm you with sweetness. I cannot remember how many compliments I received stating just that. I followed the recipe exactly but also added some sliced almonds (1/4 cup) in the nut mixture just as a personal preference. Thanks for sharing this recipe!

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My first time making Baklava and it was quite a lot easier than I imagined it would be. I'm thrilled with this recipe - no more trips to Greek delis for me - I will be making this a lot!! I used a little less butter and about 50 grams less of pastry (it was all I had), otherwise made the recipe as posted. Thanks Rita!!

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This was chosen for ZWT game. Almost like my own recipe, but I make mine using pecans and brandy in the syrup, coming from a Greek I would have to say this recipe is not bad! Thanks a bunch hon, Kitten:)

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