One of the things I look forward to during Eid is dessert, particularly pistachio baklava. This flaky and buttery treat is filled with layers of pistachios and soaked in sugar syrup. It’s simply delicious. And while baklava can be eaten at any time of year without reason, celebrating Eid with freshly baked treats makes the holiday more festive, so I, for one, am a big fan!
Pistachio baklava is enjoyed by many cultures around the world, from the Middle East to Greece and Turkey. The dessert is made in slightly different ways, but all are greatly appreciated. Some make their sugar syrup using orange blossom and others mix walnuts with pistachios. Even though there’s no “right” way to prepare this delicacy, here’s how I make it.
This recipe requires some patience and a bit of time, so consider yourself warned! While there are many steps to perfect the pistachio baklava and you might feel inclined to just go out and buy some instead, the end result is rewarding and incredibly impressive.
Related: Baklava French Toast Bake
ingredients
Sugar Syrup
Pistachio Baklava
directions
Let the pistachio baklava sit for at least 6 hours before eating.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Start by making the sugar syrup. Put sugar, water, rose water, and lemon in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside and let it cool. It should completely cool before pouring it over the baklava, otherwise, it could get soggy.
Add pistachios to a blender or food processor and pulse until ground. Don’t worry if there are pieces that haven’t been crushed, it adds a little more crunch to the bite. Then add sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix well.
Place the phyllo dough on a table. Using a knife, outline the base of the tray. Trim the outline. The dough should fit the tray perfectly. I used a 13×9-inch baking pan.
Brush butter on the bottom of the tray, then add your first layer of phyllo dough. Add butter and then another layer. Repeat the steps until you have a total of 10 layers.
Add a third of the nut mixture (around 1¼ cups) and spread it across the phyllo dough. Add a layer of phyllo dough and brush with butter. Repeat until there are six layers of phyllo dough.
Add in another third of the nut mixture. Repeat the phyllo dough and butter steps again for six more layers.
Top the layers with your last third of pistachios (keep some for garnish). Finally, top off with 10 layers of phyllo dough and butter, adding a layer of butter to the top.
Using a sharp knife, cut diamond shapes into the tray. Make sure the knife goes all the way through.
Bake in the oven for 50 to 55 minutes until golden brown. Once out of the oven, pour the cooled sugar syrup atop the pistachio baklava, immediately. You should hear a satisfying sizzle in this step.
Let the baklava sit for at least 6 hours and then garnish with the remaining ground pistachios.
