Mini Baklavas with a Twist

I love Baklava. It's gooey, crunchy, flakey and sweet -- all things I love. However... sometimes, when I order it at restaurants it's too cold... or there's too  much liquid on the plate, because there wasn't enough honey; it was a mess. So, I decided to try to make it myself, and to be quite frank, it was a pain in the butt. So I thought about what makes a Baklava a Baklava, and decided to deconstruct them a bit, to make them easier to make -- and still indulge in why I love them.

These Mini Baklavas make a perfect bite and are great for appetizers OR dessert. You'll see why.

Ingredients: 

• 15 fillo cups
• Zest of 1, small orange (This really gives it a twist)
• A little more than a 1/2 cup of your favorite nuts -- I used walnuts and pecans.
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar + 1.5 Tbsps for syrup
• 1 Tbsp melted butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 cup water
• 2.5 Tbsps honey

Process:

1) Place your mini fillo cups in a mini muffin pan and toast them for 5 minutes in a 350 degrees F, preheated oven.

2) Meanwhile, by hand or with a food processor, grind your nuts down so they are small... but not too small. You want texture... don't leave yourself without any crispness.

3) Put nuts in a small bowl. Mix in melted butter, salt, cinnamon, 1 Tbsp sugar and zest. Spoon mixture into each fillo cup. I use a small teaspoon for this. Pop them back into the oven for 10 minutes.

4) While they are baking, make your simple syrup. In a small saucepan, add water, honey, sugar and vanilla extract. Over medium heat, bring to a boil, then let simmer for about 8 minutes, or until the mixture turns into a thickened, simple syrup.

5) When the fillo cups are done baking, spoon a teaspoon of the mixture over each fillo cup. You will most likely hear them sizzle. When each has had 1 tsp, go back and add another teaspoon on top. (This allows the first teaspoon to be dissolved; it's kind of like watering a plant).

6) Let sit for 30 minutes, before popping these into the fridge for at least 3 hours. Before serving, let sit for 20 minutes.

Try this. They are really simple to make and they are pretty cute too. That's ALWAYS a plus. I made them to accompany my Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pumpkin Mousse on Thanksgiving.

Enjoy!


--Chels