Published March 1, 2004.
Part pastry, part confection, baklava often combines the downfalls of both: too soggy and too sweet. We made more than three dozen baklava to uncover its secrets.
In this country, in this modern age, baklava, so lavish with butter, sugar, and nuts, is so often a lamentable experience. Sad, soggy, punishingly sweet, and utterly lifeless specimens are ubiquitous.
Crisp, flaky, buttery lozenges, light yet rich, filled with fragrant nuts and spices, and sweetened just assertively enough to pair perfectly with a Turkish coffee.
Layer store-bought phyllo dough with three separate layers of nuts (a combination of almonds and walnuts) flavored with cinnamon and cloves. Clarify the butter for even browning. Be sure to cut the baklava completely (don't just score it) before baking, then pour over a sugar syrup flavored with honey and lemon. Finally, allow the baklava to sit overnight before eating----the flavor improvement is worth the wait.
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