Composition of regular baklava. What is baklava and how to prepare it? Baklava recipes. How to make baklava at home

Oriental cuisine is famous for its inimitable desserts. The main national sweet is considered to be delicious sweet baklava. Any self-respecting oriental woman should be able to cook this dish, but in the modern world the recipe has become widespread, and it is already difficult to say which baklava is true.

Base of the dish

Baklava is a multi-layered dessert made from sweet filling and nuts. At the same time, each housewife still gets her own unique recipe. They differ in the composition of ingredients.

The main part of the dough is rolled out thinly and placed in a baking dish. According to the standard, baklava is rectangular, but some bake it in the form of a cylinder. For impregnation, sherbet, honey, rose water or lemon juice are used. Nuts of any kind are used as filling.

Sweet syrup

The recipe for baklava was created a long time ago, and back in the days of the Ottoman Empire it was standard to use sherbet to soak the dough, however, this is not the only option:

Sherbet: 200 ml of water, two glasses of sugar, a teaspoon of citric acid. Boil for 5 minutes.
Honey: dissolve honey in water in one to one proportions until completely dissolved.

Dessert dough

An important component of baklava is the dough. Now there are a huge number of recipes, so it’s impossible to choose the only right one. Any cooking technology can work, the main thing is to observe the layering and rolling.

Recipes from countries around the world

Over time, not only eastern countries began to be proud of baklava. This dish now graces the tables of many nationalities.

Azerbaijani recipe

The main differences: layers of dough up to 4 mm thick, their number reaches 10, and cardamom and cloves are placed in the filling. Finally, the top layer is smeared with oil and ground saffron, and half or two quarters of a walnut are placed in the middle of the portion in the shape of a diamond. A simple dessert takes three hours to prepare.

Compound:

Baklava recipe:

From puff pastry

A more classic recipe. Mostly, ready-made dough is used, however, if you make it at home, the baklava will turn out tastier. The finished dish must be kept warm for ten hours; in extreme cases, this time can be reduced to two hours. An average dessert takes about two hours to prepare..

Recipe for baklava with walnuts and honey:

Turkish sweet

The peculiarity of this recipe is that you cannot use semi-finished dough. Usually, because of the layered part, the dessert fails and requires practice. In addition, all ingredients must be cooled before you start mixing them. Ready in 3 hours.

Compound:

Turkish baklava recipe:

Mix cold water, grated butter, flour, sugar and beaten eggs, then knead the dough.
Divide into equal parts and roll out in one direction.
Stack the layers on top of each other, first adding the filling between them and brushing with butter.
Bake for forty minutes at 200 degrees in the oven, and after ten minutes add honey syrup.

Armenian

The secret ingredient in this recipe is vanilla. Everything else follows the standard: impregnation - sherbet; filling - walnuts, sometimes with the addition of pistachios; Lubricant of the final layer is egg yolk.

The difficulty of preparing Armenian baklava is average, and it takes one hour and fifteen minutes.

How to make baklava at home:

Melt margarine, beat with sour cream, add egg, flour and soda.
Knead the dough and divide it into four equal parts, then roll out thinly.
Assemble the dish in layers, not forgetting to add crushed nuts, cinnamon and vanilla between the layers.
Divide into diamond-shaped portions and bake for one hour at two hundred degrees.

Honey baklava

It is impossible to say exactly which nationality the recipe for honey baklava belongs to, because similar things are found in Crimean, Uzbek, and Yerevan cuisine. Of course, it is recommended to knead the dough with your own hands, but if you still buy it in a store, then you need to take yeast-free puff pastry.

Honey baklava recipe:

Place crushed pistachios evenly on each layer, except the top one, while pouring oil over them.
Divide into portion squares and bake in the oven at 190 degrees for 50 minutes.
Pour honey syrup over the finished dish and leave to soak for half an hour.

Made from phyllo dough

Arabic baklava, made from crispy phyllo dough, is similar in structure to German strudel, but the taste is very different. It is popular at Arab and Greek holiday tables.

Today there are a large number of all kinds of sweets that appear on our table every day and delight us with their taste and aroma. However, both previously and now, oriental sweets are especially popular due to their unusual properties and incomparable taste. One of the types of sweets known and loved all over the world is baklava. It appeared in ancient times and won the recognition of not only the common people, but also representatives of the wealthy segment of the population. There are many legends about the place of origin of baklava. Some believe that this is a national Turkish dish, while others are inclined to think that baklava was invented in Greece. But, regardless of where it was made and by whom it was invented, baklava remains a delicious delicacy and a favorite sweet dessert with a long history.

Composition of baklava

Let's start with what exactly elements are contained in baklava. If we talk about vitamins, then in this sweet you can find vitamins A and C, with which some of its ingredients are saturated. Among minerals, baklava is rich in iron, sodium and calcium. In addition, this delicious sweet contains cholesterol, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Now let's talk about the ingredients that are used to make baklava. They change depending on its type, but some remain unchanged. This is dough, nuts, sugar syrup, honey or molasses, as well as spicy spices.

Types of baklava

As already mentioned, baklava is popular in different countries, and each of them has made its own changes to the process and recipe for its preparation, thanks to which several types of this delicious delicacy have appeared, differing not only in composition, but also in the method of preparation. The main types of baklava are Turkish and Azerbaijani, but Athenian, Greek, Assyrian, Uzbek and Turkmen baklava are also known. Depending on the climate and availability of products, the composition of baklava changes. As for nuts, walnuts are considered traditional, but in some countries they have been replaced by pistachios, almonds and peanuts. The dough can also have different composition. Most often this is puff pastry, yeast, straight or shortbread dough. Additives in the form of spices also change with the traditions of local residents preparing baklava. However, one thing remains unchanged, baklava should be sweet and tasty, filling and appetizing, and sometimes even quite heavy, which is due to the large number of layers of dough, smeared with a honey-nut mixture.

Benefits of baklava

Due to its popularity and composition, baklava came to the attention of nutritionists and doctors, who examined its properties in detail and identified the areas of influence of baklava on the human body.

It is believed that baklava is an excellent remedy for restoring strength and energy. It is used in Eastern culture as a food that increases and restores male strength, which is why it is in such demand among Eastern men. In addition, baklava is recommended for those suffering from cardiovascular diseases, since its high content of nuts will help restore blood circulation and saturate the body with nutrients. There are opinions that baklava helps treat asthma, tuberculosis, anemia and some heart diseases.

Harm of baklava

Despite the properties of baklava and its positive effect on the human body, we should not forget that it, like almost any sweet, is a very high-calorie product. That is why you need to consume baklava in moderation, avoiding overeating. This sweetness is contraindicated for people prone to obesity and following certain diets. In addition, those who are allergic to any of its components should avoid eating baklava, since nuts and honey, which are the main components of baklava, are among the strongest allergens that can lead to attacks of suffocation or an allergic reaction in the form of redness and rash on the skin.

Secrets of making baklava

Knowing the composition and quantity of ingredients included in it does not guarantee that you will be able to prepare baklava in the form in which it is presented in Turkish culture. Some secrets of making baklava will help you get as close to the desired product as possible; if you adhere to them, you will make a real and incredibly tasty oriental sweet.

When preparing the dough for baklava, it is customary to add a small amount of starch to it, which will facilitate rolling and help achieve the desired thickness of the cakes. In addition, starch will give the dough special tenderness and softness.

The dough laid out in layers, greased with nut filling, is cut into diamonds, however, cuts must be made only to the nut layer, otherwise during baking not only the top cakes, but also the bottom ones will rise, which will spoil the appearance of the baklava. After cooking, the finished baklava is poured with syrup and sent to a cool place for several hours so that the cakes can be well soaked in it.

The thinner the baklava dough is rolled out, the better. In some cultures, special long rolling pins are used for this, which allow the dough to be rolled out so thin that it resembles gauze. This is the main secret of preparing the most tender and delicious baklava.

How to cook baklava

If you want to test your culinary capabilities and prepare baklava yourself, we offer you one of the simplest and most common recipes, which will allow you to bake a real oriental sweet at home. But for this you will have to put in a certain amount of effort and spend a lot of time.

Before preparing the dough, prepare the filling so that it has time to soak well. A nut-honey mixture is used as a filling for baklava. Any nuts can be used for it, but the most relevant is a mixture of walnuts and hazelnuts, or almonds and hazelnuts. Grind the required amount of nuts until mushy, mix them together and add sugar syrup, ground nutmeg and cardamom. Now set aside the filling and proceed to the dough.

For the dough you will need wheat flour, sugar, eggs, milk, salt and soda, as well as a little vegetable oil. All ingredients are mixed together until a viscous, homogeneous dough is formed, which is left to infuse for a while, then beaten and set aside again to rise. The finished dough must be divided into equal parts and rolled into very thin cakes. The baking tray is greased with vegetable oil, and then the cakes are laid out on it. Each layer is generously smeared with a filling prepared in advance, the thickness of which should be several times greater than the thickness of the cake itself. Another layer of cake is placed on top of the filling and again alternates with the filling. After the last, top layer is laid out, the cakes are cut into diamonds, and a whole nut without a shell is placed in the center of each of them.

Baklava is baked for 30-40 minutes. The finished baklava is poured with honey syrup, which is brewed from flower honey, water, sugar and saffron. It is necessary to ensure that the syrup gets into the cuts between the pieces. After this, the baklava is put into the oven for a few more minutes, giving it the opportunity to brown well, and then it is cooled, cut into portions and left for several hours, after which the sweetness can be served.

Baklava is the sweetness of the East. A delicious honey treat that should be consumed regularly. What's happened baklava and what benefits of baklava, read our article.

Benefits of baklava

Benefits of baklava is that it contains vitamins A and C. It also contains minerals, iron, sodium and calcium. Oriental sweets contain cholesterol, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. Ingredients vary and depend on the country where baklava getting ready. But there is a list of necessary components, without which it is impossible to prepare baklava. This is dough, nuts, sugar syrup, honey or molasses, as well as spicy spices.

Baklava- An excellent remedy for restoring strength and energy. In oriental cuisine, baklava is considered a product that helps increase and restore male energy. It is for this reason that among Eastern men, baklava takes a leading position in the mandatory daily diet. Baklava also recommended for cardiovascular diseases. The high content of nuts helps restore blood circulation and saturate the body with nutrients. The benefits of honey in the composition baklava also worth noting. Some believe that baklava helps treat asthma, tuberculosis, anemia and some heart diseases.

Harm of baklava

It is important to remember that baklava is still a fairly high-calorie product. Therefore, for those who are watching their figure, it is important to know when to use it in moderation. You should not overeat oriental sweets for another reason. This product is contraindicated for people prone to obesity and following certain diets. Since baklava necessarily contains honey and nuts, people prone to allergic reactions should use this sweetness carefully, because honey is a strong allergen. In some people, it can lead to asthma attacks or an allergic reaction in the form of redness and rashes on the skin.

How to cook baklava

Baklava is a dessert that consists of a large number of layers (sometimes up to 20 layers). The layers of dough should be thin and well rolled out. They check them by holding them up to the light. They should glow like tulle. The layers are lubricated with oil, honey and sprinkle with ground or finely chopped nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds or pistachios). Cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and apples can also be added to the filling. All this is laid out in a square or rectangular shape, alternating layers. After baklava pour sherbet, sprinkle with nuts and bake. Some are baked first and then topped with sherbet. It all depends on the culture and cooking recipes.

Baklava recipes differ in different national cuisines. However, all existing options share several classic principles of its preparation: thin layers of dough, sweet nut filling, butter and honey filling. There is also debate about the country where baklava first appeared. If in your understanding, baklava according to the classic recipe has something in common with Turkish cuisine, then prepare a rich yeast or yeast-free dough for it and add spices to the nut filling; if Greek cuisine is closer, then prepare or take puff pastry, preferably phyllo.

Total cooking time – 1 hour 20 minutes
Active cooking time – 1 hour 0 minutes
Cost – high cost
Calorie content per 100 g – 388 kcal
Number of servings – 8 servings

How to cook baklava according to the classic recipe

Ingredients:

Wheat flour – 500 g 3.5-4 cups
Sour cream – 200 g
Butter – 200 g
Chicken egg – 2 pcs.
1 - for dough, 1 - for gloss Baking powder
– 1 tsp.
Nuts – 2.5 tbsp. (200 ml)
Sugar – 1.5 tbsp. (200 ml) for filling
Spices - to taste
Butter – 100 g for the first filling
Sugar – 1 tbsp. (200 ml) for the second filling
Water – 150 ml

Honey – 50 g

Preparation:

To prepare the dough for baklava according to the classic recipe, soften the butter: at room temperature or for 30 seconds in the microwave at low power (300-450). Add a small egg or just the egg yolk, sour cream and mix.

Combine the resulting mass with flour, into which baking powder is mixed if desired. The amount of flour may vary due to differences in its properties between different manufacturers, and also depends on the resulting softness of the softened butter.

If you don’t like the light dough in the finished baklava, then you can make it brownish by adding sugar syrup to it, but in this case the baklava will be even sweeter (even more sugary!) and the calorie content will be even higher.

By hand or using a household appliance, quickly knead the soft, flaky dough and place it in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

Nuts for the filling can be almost any kind. For a more budget-friendly, but also very tasty option, add peanuts to expensive nuts - walnuts or hazelnuts, for example, 1:1, 1:2 or to your taste.

Set aside walnut quarters (whole almond or hazelnut kernels) in the required quantity (for example, 24 pieces), and chop the remaining nuts.

For the filling, you need to combine nuts, crushed by rolling with a rolling pin, in a meat grinder or using a blender, with finely ground sugar and ground spices to taste (vanilla, cardamom, cinnamon).

The chilled dough needs to be divided into several parts - their number will depend on how tall you want the finished dessert and taking into account the size of your mold. For example, for my 20x30 rectangular pan, I divided the dough into only 4 pieces. The baklava will turn out to be low, but this is exactly what my household prefers.

You will need three portions of the filling, so immediately divide it into 3 equal parts. Place a layer of dough in a greased pan and spread the nut-sugar filling evenly. Repeat twice more, ending with a layer of dough. The result should be the following layers: dough\nuts\dough\nuts\dough\nuts\dough.

The top layer of dough needs to be marked out into future portions. To do this, first cut several parallel lines with a knife, without cutting the very bottom layer of dough! Then make cuts to create diamond shapes. You cannot cut the bottom layer of dough, otherwise all the filling will flow out to the bottom of the mold, the bottom dough will burn and then become excessively soggy, and the top layers will not be soaked as needed.

Lubricate the surface with yolk mixed with 1 tbsp. cold water - for gloss. Stick a nut into the middle of each diamond.

Place the mold with the baklava preparation in a preheated oven (200 degrees). After fifteen minutes, take it out and renew the cuts with a knife, also without cutting them to the bottom layer of dough. Don't forget to run the knife along the sides of the mold.

Make the first fill - oil. Brush the surface evenly with melted butter.
Return the pan with the preparation back to the oven for another 30-45 minutes - the time depends on the properties of the oven and the height of the baklava.

While the baklava is baking, cook the sweet syrup for the second filling: bring to a boil and briefly cook water with sugar (white or brown) over medium heat until slightly thickened and remove from heat. Ideally, more saffron is added to the sweet filling...
When the syrup has cooled, mix it with a portion of honey.

Fully baked baklava needs to be poured with a second filling - honey. To do this, renew the cuts on the three layers of dough. First, pour two teaspoons of syrup onto each diamond, and then pour the syrup into the cuts in a thin stream.

After it has cooled completely, cut the baklava according to the classic recipe to the end, i.e. cutting through to the bottom layer of dough. Place the diamond portions on a serving dish, preferably lined with parchment paper or foil.

Baklava harm and benefit

Baklava, composition, benefits and harm, recipes for making baklava

Oriental sweets are known and loved in many parts of the world. This is because, firstly, they are extremely tasty, and secondly, they bring great benefits to the human body. Real oriental sweets are produced according to ancient recipes, inherited by Asian peoples from their ancestors. One of the most striking delicacies in this category is baklava.

Product Information

Baklava is a confectionery product made from puff pastry. Its components also include nuts (hazelnuts, pistachios, almonds, walnuts, etc.) and sherbet. The sweet filling is alternated with thin sheets spread with honey, and then filled with sherbet. Sometimes sugar syrup, pieces of apples, and often spices and seasonings (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves), and lemon juice are added to baklava. The product is baked in rectangular shapes. As a result, this combination of edible components leaves few people indifferent.

This product has other names. In countries where it is directly produced, the terms “baklava” or “baklava” are used to refer to the sweet delicacy. Scientists discovered the first mention of this oriental sweet in a cookbook that belonged to the court cook of Topkapi Castle. According to the recipes indicated in it, dishes were prepared for Sultan Fatih himself, whose great-great-grandson was Sultan Suleiman of Lenten. The book dates back to the 15th century. However, baklava would never have been born if not for the Assyrians. They became the authors of the thinnest puff pastry - the basis of an oriental delicacy.

There is another legend about the creation of baklava. In this legend, the Greeks appear as the authors of the sweet delicacy. According to ancient legend, the Hellenes brought baklava from Asia Minor, where they learned to prepare the product back in the 8th century BC. As a result, the residents of Athens liked the delicacy so much that they made a very successful attempt to improve the dough used to prepare the nutty delicacy.

Baklava is produced in almost all eastern countries. This includes Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Arab countries, and Armenia. It is prepared by Crimean Tatars and Ossetians. And for everyone, without exception, the delicacy turns out to be divinely tasty, although there may be some differences in the ingredients. In Russia, you can try baklava in any oriental cafe or restaurant.

Composition of the product

Baklava is a delicacy rich in carbohydrates. Sugars in it make up more than half of the total mass of the delicacy: 60%. Fats should be mentioned next in quantity here. Baklava contains at least 15 g of them (calculated per 100 product). There are also proteins in the oriental sweets, but not enough - only 6 g. Thus, the calorie content of baklava is within 400 kcal. Since one of the ingredients of the product is nuts, the fats of the delicacy are represented by poly- and monounsaturated fatty acids. However, their total amount does not exceed that of cholesterol, which also found a place in baklava.

There are few vitamins in the delicacy: beta-carotene and ascorbic acid. The same is true with minerals: baklava contains calcium, iron and sodium.

The benefits and harms of baklava

Product benefits

Baklava has few but remarkable healing properties. First of all, eating it restores reserves of energy and vitality and increases performance. For this reason, baklava is good to eat for people engaged in heavy physical labor.

Those who are forced to experience high mental stress every day will also get the maximum benefit from this oriental delicacy. The sweet nutty delicacy makes the brain work at full capacity.

Due to the content of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids in baklava, doctors recommend including it in the diet of people suffering from cardiovascular diseases and poor eyesight. And since these components of the product have powerful antioxidant activity, the oriental delicacy can slow down the process of natural aging of the body and prevent cancer.

Baklava is very useful for the stronger sex. In the East it is believed that this product is able to increase and restore potency.

The nut delicacy is worth trying if a person has been diagnosed with asthma, tuberculosis, or anemia. According to the opinion and experience of doctors and traditional healers, baklava improves the well-being of the patient with these ailments and can even be used in their complex therapy. This is explained by the positive effect of sweets on the functioning of the immune system and the antibacterial properties of the product.

Harm from treats

It is not recommended to indulge in baklava if you are overweight or have diabetes. A product that is too high in calories will aggravate an already poor condition. But this is not the only harmful quality of oriental sweets. Due to the presence of a large number of nuts in baklava, it should be eaten with caution by allergy sufferers. This advice is especially relevant for those who suffer from food allergies. A side effect may be a skin reaction in the form of itching, rashes and redness of certain areas of the body.

Secrets of making dessert

In order for baklava to be of high quality and truly tasty, it is necessary to adhere to specific principles.

1. In the process of preparing the dough for the oriental delicacy, you need to add a small amount of potato or corn starch to the flour. Thanks to this component, it will be much easier to roll out the dough, and the cakes will turn out thin, as stated in all recipes. In addition, the taste of such baklava will be incredibly delicate.

2. It is very desirable to give the cakes a diamond shape. It is recommended to do this before placing a layer of chopped nuts on the dough sheet. The cakes are cut with a sharp kitchen knife.

3. It is best to pour sugar syrup on top of the finished delicacy. To soak, leave the treat for 2-3 hours in a cool place.

4. Try to roll out the baklava dough as thin as you can. This is the most important condition for a tasty and truly authentic oriental delicacy.

Traditional baklava recipe

Do you want to prepare a sweet delicacy, as they say, according to all the canons of oriental culinary art? Then use the dessert recipe given below.

First prepare the filling. It should consist of chopped nuts and bee honey. You can use any nuts, but the most delicious is baklava with a nut mixture of walnuts and hazelnuts. Grind them thoroughly, but not to a powder state. Season the mixture with spices, namely a pinch of ground nutmeg and cardamom. You can use sugar syrup instead of honey.

To knead the dough, you need to combine wheat flour, sunflower oil, a couple of raw chicken eggs, granulated sugar, table salt and a little baking soda or baking powder. The dough should be homogeneous and quite viscous. Leave it for 1 hour, then stir well again. Now we need to let it rise.

When this happens, divide the dough into parts and roll out thin cakes. Place the filling on each sheet of dough, sparingly, and there should again be a flour sheet on top. So, alternating, achieve a semi-finished product that requires baking. But before you put the baklava in the oven, take a knife and give the cakes a diamond shape. And on the top cake, place a whole nut without the shell - right in the middle.

The baklava is kept in the oven for about 40 minutes. Then the product is removed from the oven and poured over sugar syrup, which in turn is prepared from honey, sugar, water and, if possible, saffron. Afterwards, the delicacy is put back into the oven for 2 minutes.

The cooled baklava is divided into portions. Bon appetit!

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Baklava

Historical reference

Cooking features

sweet butter;
sugar or honey;
carnations;
cinnamon;
syrup to taste;

Armenian baklava recipe

egg yolk - 3 pieces.

Preparing the dough

nuts to taste - 400 grams;
vanillin - 15 grams;
egg white - 3 pieces;

Preparing the filling

What's wrong with sugar

metabolic syndrome;
diabetes mellitus;
cancerous tumors;
liver pathologies;
diseases of the heart and blood vessels;
obesity.

What's wrong with white flour

What else is dangerous about white flour?

provokes the development of acne;

Why are they dangerous:

heart disease;
obesity;
diabetes mellitus;
internal inflammation;
acne/allergic rash;

foodandhealth.ru

Baklava

Baklava (baklava, baklava) is one of the most famous confectionery products made from puff pastry in sherbet with nuts. Baklava has conquered the cuisines of all eastern peoples. Her first victory was Turkish cuisine, then Armenian, Arabic, Azerbaijani, Crimean Tatar, Lezgin cuisines. This delicacy is also prepared by Greeks and Bulgarians.

Baklava is baked for all holidays. Turks and Greek Cypriots fought for the right to call baklava a national dessert. The matter has reached the General Secretariat for European Affairs, and there is talk of issuing a special patent to Turkey.

History of the delicacy

According to historians, baklava or “baklava” was first mentioned in the cookbook of the Topkapi Palace of the 15th century, during the reign of Sultan Fatih (this is the great-great-grandfather of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (who became known to the fair half of humanity in the series “The Magnificent Century”, by the way, in the series they also often talk about baklava)). He liked the cook's baked goods so much that he ordered the recipe to be immortalized. But the thinnest dough for dessert came from the Assyrians.

In turn, the Greeks claim that baklava appeared already in the 8th century BC. on the Asia Minor peninsula. The Greek sailors liked it so much that they brought it to Athens. They believe that their greatest achievement is the improvement of the baklava dough to the thickness of a sheet of paper.

How to prepare baklava

What is baklava? Baklava is a dessert consisting of many layers, from 6 to 20, of dough, the layers should be thin like tulle, they are smeared with butter, honey and sprinkled with ground or finely chopped nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds or pistachios). Cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and apples can also be added to the filling. All this splendor is laid out in a rectangular shape, layer by layer, or rolled into cylinders.

Further, the preparation varies slightly, who bakes the cakes, soaks them in sherbet and then sprinkles them with nuts; and some place nuts layer by layer on raw dough and bake, filling them with sherbet. Baklava differs in the preparation process, depending on the country and region, but the result is always the same - you will lick your fingers.

The benefits and harms of baklava

Baklava has an interesting effect: a mixture of honey, nuts and the finest dough increases potency in men. “Turkish men are the biggest fans of baklava and, accordingly, their level of potency is off the charts,” says an employee of the famous sweets store in Istanbul, Golluolu, which has been selling baklava for more than two hundred years.

But the fair half needs to be careful with dessert because of its calorie content. But despite all its calorie content, many women start their morning with baklava.

Baklava contains many highly allergenic components, so people prone to allergic reactions should use it with great caution.

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Baklava

Baklava is one of the most popular oriental desserts. It is this name that we most often hear in the summer season and instinctively, when we are near a lake or ocean, we look for a pleasant plump lady who sells goodies. Baklava always compared favorably with custard tubes with cream and boiled sweet corn, which were certainly kept in the good-natured auntie’s bag. Baklava consists of puff pastry, syrup and nuts - this is a standard set of ingredients that may vary.

Traditionally, the dessert is served for the spring holiday of Nowruz (celebrated by Iranian and Turkic peoples), but the modern popularity of baklava has shifted the emphasis. Today it can be found in any supermarket at a very affordable price.

How did nutty sweetness win universal love and what do you need to know about the oriental dessert?

Historical reference

Historians claim that the first mention of sweets dates back to the 15th century. A description of the dessert was found in the records of the times of Sultan Fatih (Ottoman Sultan). The text testified to the first baklava, which was prepared at the palace in 1453. The Sultan and his entire court loved the sweet so much that they immortalized the recipe and began to prepare it at every opportunity. There is another alternative version of the origin of the dish. According to her, the dessert was invented on the Asia Minor peninsula in the 8th century BC. e. The first baklava consisted of nuts, sugar paste and thick dough that was more like bread.

Greek sailors and traders who traveled through Asia Minor tasted baklava and decided to bring it to their native lands - to Athens. The Greeks decided to improve the sweetness and created a special dough that complemented the taste of nut butter. The dough is called "phyllo". It was tender, airy and very thin - phyllo can be rolled out to a few millimeters and subjected to various deformations.

Cooking features

Traditional baklava is made by layering layers of dough on top of each other. The sheets are greased with butter/sugar syrup and placed in layers in a rectangular baking container or immediately rolled into a cylinder shape. Chopped walnuts or pistachios are also placed between the layers of dough. It is noteworthy that the nuts are pre-soaked in a sweet sugar solution with a drop of lemon and rose water. This is a classic recipe that varies regionally.

Baklava is considered the ancestor of strudel. The oriental sweet was brought to Hungary in the 16th century by Turkish invaders. The locals decided to improve the recipe and add some national flavor to it.

In Greece, the dessert is usually prepared from 33 layers of thin phyllo dough. Why 33? This is a reference to biblical motifs and the age of Christ. In Bulgaria, Serbia and Macedonia, baklava is prepared exclusively with sugar syrup and walnuts. Deviations from the traditional recipe were not to the taste of the locals, so the classic method remains relevant to this day.

In the Balkans, where the dessert is as popular as potato cake in the former CIS, baklava is prepared only on special occasions. The dessert is a frequent guest on tables during the celebration of the holy month of Ramadan and the holiday of Eid al-Adha. In Armenia they prefer to dilute the traditional recipe with new bright accents. There, cinnamon, cloves and other spices are added to the dough or filling.

Israelis love to use puff pastry sheets for baklava. The nut filling consists of several types at once - pistachio, hazelnut, almond and walnut. Instead of sugar syrup, in Israel they prepare a mixture of:

sweet butter;
sugar or honey;
carnations;
cinnamon;
syrup to taste;
orange and lemon zest.

In Lebanon, baklava also acquired a special national flavor. Extracted puff pastry is filled with nuts, after which it is generously poured with a special sweet syrup. The syrup consists of rose or orange water and sweetener. The finished dish is cut into the shape of diamonds/triangles and served immediately.

Armenian baklava recipe

To prepare the dough we will need:

flour (you can choose any, based on individual taste preferences) - 700 grams;
vegetable nut oil - 400 grams;
sour cream (recommended fat content - 15%) - 400 grams;
egg yolk - 3 pieces.

Preparing the dough

Prepare a large, deep container for kneading the dough. If you don’t have the necessary equipment in your kitchen arsenal, lay out a clean oilcloth/parchment/foil and cook directly on it. Leave the oil to warm to room temperature, mix sour cream, 100 grams of flour and 3 egg yolks with it. Mix the mixture carefully so that no lumps form. As soon as the dough begins to take a clear shape, gradually beat in the remaining flour. It is important that the dough does not stick to your hands and is not excessively dry due to the abundance of flour.

The dough may turn out yellow due to the yolks. To tone down the egg flavor and color, add a few more spoons of sour cream. If the dough turns out to be too dry, add a few tablespoons of sour cream or butter. Focus on the consistency and appearance of the dough, but it is best to refrain from tasting it because of the raw yolks.

The end result should be firm, so place it in the refrigerator for at least an hour and a half. Push the product closer to the wall to achieve maximum temperature exposure.

Wrap the dough in foil, paper or plastic bag so that it does not absorb foreign odors.

Divide the finished dough into 3 equal parts and roll out thinly (thickness - about 5 millimeters). You can pre-shape the dough into diamonds or triangles to bake individual baklava pieces. To save time, you can lay layers of dough/filling/syrup, bake and cut after cooking.

To prepare the filling we will need:

nuts to taste - 400 grams;
vanillin - 15 grams;
egg white - 3 pieces;
honey or favorite sweetener - 200 grams.

Preparing the filling

Crush the nuts or buy the already crushed mixture at the supermarket. Add all the necessary ingredients to the nut mixture. The filling should be slightly moist, but not dry. If there is not enough moisture, add more egg whites.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and start laying out 6 balls of baklava. The order is quite clear - first the dough, then the filling. After all the layers are laid, beat the yolk and apply it in a thin layer to the baklava using a special spatula. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 40-50 minutes at 180°C. As soon as the dessert is ready, remove it from the oven and let cool for at least 15-20 minutes.

You can cut the baklava only after it has cooled. Wet sheets of dough and filling will simply break under the pressure of a knife and ruin the appearance of the sweet.

Can baklava be considered a “healthy” food product?

The modern healthy eating trend is one of the best movements to emerge in the last few years. Humanity no longer wants to grow old ahead of time, treat obesity, suffer from shortness of breath and pain throughout the muscle corset. One of the components of a healthy life is balanced nutrition. What do you need to know about the industrial production of baklava and is it safe to eat the oriental sweet?

Large industrial enterprises are not particularly sophisticated in their dessert compositions. For production, ordinary refined sugar, white wheat flour, thickeners, preservatives are used (otherwise the shelf life would be reduced from several months to 24-48 hours) and flavor enhancers. Why is this combination dangerous?

What's wrong with sugar

Refined sugar is not a valuable food product, but “empty” calories. It does not contain vitamins and minerals, but is full of slow carbohydrates. It has been proven that refined sugar leads to the development of:

metabolic syndrome;
diabetes mellitus;
cancerous tumors;
liver pathologies;
diseases of the heart and blood vessels;
obesity.

Moreover, an abundance of refined sugar provokes the growth of visceral fat. This fat accumulates on internal organs, interferes with their quality functionality and leads to severe inflammatory processes within the body.

This does not mean that you need to completely give up sugar and foods that contain it. The question is the volume of granulated sugar consumption. Fruits, protein bars, cereals, candies, cereals - all of these products contain sugar in varying concentrations. But in unrefined cereals and fruits, in addition to fructose, there is a whole complex of vitamins and nutrients that regulate metabolism and replace the harmful effects of sugar.

An adult consumes about 22 tablespoons of sugar, while only 3-5 is acceptable.

Sugar is seriously addictive, so a sudden refusal of your favorite chocolate and baklava may well lead to the development of psychosis and an eating disorder. Don't give up your favorite desserts. Allow yourself to eat them at any time, but in a minimal amount, combine with fruits and other healthy foods to minimize harm.

What's wrong with artificial sweeteners

Humanity has long been dependent on sugar, so if the composition does not contain white sand, then it must contain sweeteners. Plant-based sweet products like banana or honey are rarely used on an industrial scale due to their high cost and specific structure. The most popular sweetener is aspartame. It is most often used in carbonated drinks, chewing gum and desserts. Nutritionists have recognized the component as toxic - it contributes to the development of brain tumors, Parkinson's disease, lymphoma and migraines.

Artificial sweeteners also disrupt natural glucose metabolism. The body becomes unaccustomed to processing the substance and simply stops responding to it. This is dangerous due to the failure of the entire gastrointestinal tract and the inability to absorb food. Moreover, sweeteners do not satisfy the psychological need for sweets - too weak stimulation of pleasure centers does not give the desired result. The result is psychological disorders, obesity, a constant need for sweets and condemnation of oneself for weakness of spirit. How to get out of a vicious circle? It's very simple - switch to honey, fruits and plenty of plant foods in your diet. The craving for sweets will gradually decrease, and a few pieces of your favorite baklava a week will completely satisfy your need for sweets.

What's wrong with white flour

First grade flour undergoes thorough industrial processing. During production, the grain shell is separated and removed. It is in the shell that the maximum volume of vitamins and nutrients is concentrated, which are utilized rather than delivered to humans.

During industrial processing of grain, it loses from 70 to 90% of its useful composition.

An empty carbohydrate product has a high glycemic index. After a few pieces of baklava, a sharp jump in blood sugar occurs, which not only worsens the condition, but also becomes the cause of many diseases.

What else is dangerous about white flour?

triggers early aging processes;
adversely affects the functioning of the heart and blood vessels;
provokes the development of acne;
makes you constantly feel hungry and unfulfilled;
causes headaches, digestive disorders, and allergic reactions.

Do you really have to give up baking altogether? No. Empty white flour should be replaced with whole grain, almond, corn, buckwheat, oatmeal and so on. These types of flour are not fully industrially processed and retain their component composition.

What's wrong with industrial processing

Industrial baklava is sold in plastic packages that can be stored for several months. Such packages also contain trans fats, a lot of salt, sugar, gluten, preservatives and flavor enhancers.

Why are they dangerous:

heart disease;
obesity;
diabetes mellitus;
internal inflammation;
acne/allergic rash;
pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract;
In case of regular abuse, death is possible.

The most dangerous components include artificial colors E102/110/124/133, preservatives to increase shelf life E211, color stabilizer E220, flavor fixer E320, flavor enhancer E621. Avoid them in sugary industrial products and choose the healthiest alternatives possible.

Should I give up baklava completely?

No, the main thing is to approach the issue rationally. It is permissible to add 10-20% of “harmful” foods to your daily caloric intake. It could be baklava, a piece of your favorite cake, ice cream or fried potatoes. Exactly 10-20% of the diet will help satisfy psychological cravings and not overload the digestive tract.

80% healthy natural foods (meat, whole grain pasta, vegetables, fruits, grains, seafood) will help smooth the balance and minimize the harm of sugar, trans fats and preservatives. Approach your own nutrition from a scientific point of view and be healthy!