Perfecting Baklava - Cooks Illustrated

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.

The Problem

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.

The Goal

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.

The Solution

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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America’s Test Kitchen is a 2,500-square-foot kitchen located just outside of Boston. It is the home of Cook’s Country and Cook’s Illustrated magazines and is the workday destination for more than three dozen test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes until we understand how and why they work and arrive at the best version. We also test kitchen equipment and supermarket ingredients in search of brands that offer the best value and performance. You can watch us work by tuning in to America’s Test Kitchen (www.americastestkitchen.com) on public television.