March breACK! 2014: A Baklava Snake Even the Kids Could Make

Instead of having the kids cook their own Mediterranean lunch today, I decided to make them a Mediterranean treat: Baklava… And, since there are so many “snakes” in the story we’ve been reading and illustrating all week, I thought I’d make their baklava in a snake shape! Here’s the recipe I came up with.  It’s VERY easy to put together.  Any kid could follow it!  So, kids, if you want more…and I know you will…here’s where to look!

Print Recipe

Baklava Snake 

makes 1 10-in coil and 1 4-in coil

Author: Roseanne Carrara, The Lunchbox Season

Ingredients

Filling

• 1 c sugar
• 2 c whole shelled pistachios
• 1 c toasted walnuts
• 1 c toasted almonds filberts, pecans, walnuts, or a mix
• 1 tbs cinnamon
• 1 tsp cardamom
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 1 tsp rose water [or vanilla]
• 1 tsp orange flower water [or vanilla]
• 1 tsp water

Pastry

• 1 [454 g] package [14 leaves phyllo pastry]
• 1 c unslated butter melted

Syrup

• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 2/3 c water
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 1 tsp orange flower water [or vanilla]

Instructions

• Line a 10-in circular cake pan [and a 4 to 6-in circular pan, if desired] with parchment paper.
• Coat the papered bottom and sides with baking spray or a bit of melted butter.
• In a food processor, pulse the nuts until finely chopped.
• Add the sugar and spices and pulse to combine.
• Remove 4 tbs of this mixture to reserve as a topping.
• Add the lemon juice, flavoured waters, and the plain water, and pulse until combined and thickened slightly.
• Lay out one sheet of phyllo pastry the longer side stretching from left to right.
• [Other sheets should be covered with a slightly damp towel until ready to use.]
• Butter one sheet of phyllo with a pastry brush.
• Top with another sheet of phyllo and butter again.
• Take about 1/2 c of the nut mixture and spread in thick line along the base of the sheets, leaving about .5-inch on both your left and your right empty of filling.
• Carefully roll the dough around the nut mixture and further away from you in a "tube" shape, buttering the pastry a bit as you roll it up.
• Gently seal the edges of the pastry by folding the edges down and towards the centre of the roll.
• Carefully coil up the pastry, placing it in the centre of the cake pan.
• Make more tubes and add them to your first coil until you have filled the pan.
• [If you have extra filling and phyllo, you can make a second, single coil in a separate pan or on a baking tray!]
• Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden.
• While the baklava is baking make the syrup.
• In a saucepan, heat sugar, water, juice and orange flower water for about 5 minutes over medium heat, until sugar has dissolved and mixture is clear.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in juice and orange flower water [or vanilla].
• Set aside to cool slightly.
• After removing the baklava from the oven, sprinkle the reserved nut mixture over top.
• Pour the warm syrup over the top of the baklava, coating it completely.
• Let the baklava cool and cover with foil or plastic wrap.
• Let the baklava sit for at least an hour [a day or two is best] before you slice into it!
• Enjoy!

Notes