Indianized Baklava

Baklava is one of our favorite desserts. Despite the calorific threat, the wafting aromas of rosewater and ghee, and the satisfying crunch of the crisp phyllo dough tempt us every time to eat sparingly albeit with a lot of relish. Making baklava at home has been on my to-do list (and on my husband's to-do list for me) for a long time, and this was the year when it was done!

I used palm sugar instead of regular sugar, sprinkled spices like cardamom and allspice, and used store bought phyllo sheets which simplified the process tremendously. The palm sugar reduces your guilt, and gives a rich deep flavor and color (especially to the syrup). This is not a dessert that you can mess up!

Ingredients:

1. 1 pound nuts - a combination of pistachios, walnuts, and slivered almonds
2. 2/3 cup palm sugar
3. 2 teaspoons cardamom powder
4. 1/2 teaspoon allspice
5. 32 sheets of thawed phyllo dough
6. 1/3 cup melted ghee (approximately); recommend using a culinary brush to evenly apply ghee

For the Syrup:

1. 1 cup palm sugar
2. 1 cup water
3. 1/4 cup honey
4. 1 tablespoon rosewater

Preparation:

1. Slightly cut the thawed phyllo sheets, if needed, to fit into a 9 by 13 baking pan
2. Preheat the oven to 350 F
3. Coarsely grind together the nuts, 2/3 cup palm sugar, cardamom powder and allspice powder, divide this into 3 portion.
4. Brush the bottom of the baking pan with a little ghee
• Layer 10 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing a little ghee on top of each sheet
• Sprinkle 1/3rd of the nut mixture evenly on top of the 10th sheet
• Layer 6 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing a little ghee on top of each sheet
• Sprinkle the second 1/3rd of the nut mixture evenly on top of the 16th sheet
• Layer 6 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing a little ghee on top of each sheet
• Sprinkle the last 1/3rd of the nut mixture evenly on top of the 22nd sheet
• Layer the final 10 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing a little ghee on top of each sheet
5. With a sharp knife, gently but firmly cut the unbaked phyllo to make squares or diamonds
6. Bake for about 55 minutes until the top is golden brown
7. While it is baking, make the syrup and make sure it is really warm when the baklava comes out the oven (so prepare the syrup about half way into the baking)
• Boil together 1 cup palm sugar in 1 cup water, and 1/4 cup honey until everything dissolves well
• Simmer for 15 minutes on low heat and remove from heat. Add rosewater to the syrup. The syrup should not be thick or stringy in consistency
8. When the baklava is out from the oven, pour the warm syrup on top of it to evenly coat every square. Wrap in aluminum foil and let it rest overnight

The baklavas are ready to eat in the morning!