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Baklava is one of the most popular Greek desserts known around the world, but there are also many different ways of preparing this wonderful and decedent sweet. In this video recipe, Eva shows us how to prepare baklava rolls. The ingredients are the same as the traditional baklava recipe, but here the phyllo is rolled and cut into individual pieces.
For the mixture
2 cups chopped almonds
¼ cup of sugar
1/3 cup of breadcrumbs
Zest of one orange (finely chopped)
2 to 3 tablespoons of cognac
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
Juice of half an orange
1 package of phyllo
½ cup of butter
For the syrup
1 8-ounce glass of sugar
2 glasses of water
1 cup of honey
Half an orange or lemon
2 sticks of cinnamon
A pinch of cloves
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
Combine the almonds, sugar, breadcrumbs, orange zest, cognac, cinnamon and orange juice together in a large bowl and mix well.
Melt the butter either in the microwave or on the stovetop and set aside. Remove the phyllo from the package and lay it flat on your countertop. Cover the phyllo with a slightly damp cloth.
Take out three sheets of phyllo and brush each phyllo with butter (stack each sheet on top of the other). Place a few large spoonfuls of the mixture along the bottom of the top sheet of phyllo and begin to roll the phyllo. Butter the edge of the sheet and continue to roll the phyllo as tightly as possible. Once you get to the end of the sheet, you will need to butter the edge as well.
Once you have finished rolling the phyllo, cut off the uneven edges (but don’t throw it away, just throw it into your remaining mixture).
Cut the roll into 2 inch pieces (cut either straight down or slightly angled). Butter the edges of each place and place on a greased baking sheet.
Repeat this same procedure until you have finished using all of the phyllo and mixture. You may wish to use more phyllo sheets (e.g. you could six sheets of phyllo and place a large amount of the mixture on your phyllo).
Once you have finished rolling the phyllo and placing the buttered rolls on your pan, butter the top of each roll. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes at 325 degrees (this really depends on your oven; keep in mind that the baklava has to bake slowly at a low heat until golden brown).
To prepare the syrup which you will pour over the baklava, mix together the sugar, water, and honey together in a medium saucepan. Add the lemon (or orange), cloves, and cinnamon sticks and bring it to a boil. Let it boil for about 15-20 minutes. To see if the syrup is ready you can test it by placing a small drop of the syrup on your stove-top and feel it with your finger. If it has a nice body to it, it’s ready. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to help it stay nice and smooth after it cools down.
When placing the syrup on your baklava, either the baklava or the mixture must be cool and the other hot. In this video, Eva is using a pre-prepared syrup mixture, but if you would like to see her making the syrup please watch our original baklava video).
Spoon out the slightly cooled syrup onto the warm baklava. Allow the baklava to sit for about 20 minutes, afterwards turn over the individual rolls to allow both sides to soak in the liquid. Allow the baklava to sit overnight before you serve. Enjoy!
Yet another wonderful way to prepare delicious baklava.
I enjoy your site so very much. Can’t wait for the next recipe.
I love the camera angle. It’s like I’m sitting at her kitchen counter. I tell you this ever time I visit, but I love your site. It is so charming to see these ladies tell their stories and share their recipes.
I’ve subscribed to your blog in iTunes so I won’t miss an episode!!!;)
I adore baklava and I like this configuration – it’s a big help with portion control…but somehow, I don’t think I can just have one.
Well done, I’m grateful to have found this website. Thank you.
Thanks everyone, we really appreciate the positive feedback! And thanks Kim for subscribing to our blog in iTunes!
Take care!
Love you Greek recipes! I lived in Greece for 2 years and loved the food. I can’t wait to try your baklava recipe.
Baklava is just one of those classic desserts that is so fun to play with. You can fancy it up in so many ways! This is the first time we’ve seen breadcrumbs and cognac in baklava–sounds just delish!
Those baklava rolls look great!
Hi!!! What a nice site! Είναι πολύ ωραίο να βλέπεις κι άλλους έλληνες σε όλο τον κόσμο μέσω του internet (εγώ στην Ελλάδα μένω..)! :)
Thanks everyone! If you have any suggestions for future video blogs, please let us know!
Ωω Ωραίο γλυκάκι! Μπράβο για την ωραία συνταγή και το πολύ ωραίο επεξηγηματικό video!
Βut it’s not like “Poura” (cigars), it’s more like “samousades”, another traditional kind of baklava in portions, that make in Sparta-Greece, usually with homemade phyllo!
Delicious anyway!
I’ve never made baklava with orange and thought I’d give your recipe a go. Definitely a winner! The filling was delicious as the orange gave it a different twist. I would normally make it with lemon but i much prefer it with orange now. The syrup was just the right amount and so the baklava wasn’t drenched and soggy. (Sydney Australia)
I made these lovely looking rolls with different filling. Thanks for the video & recipe. My version turned out really well.