citrus and cardamom baklava with pistachios and walnuts

Desserts

Citrus and Cardamom Baklava with Pistachios and Walnuts

“She’s a real dish.” That vintage nickname for a lovely lady certainly could have been inspired by a pan of baklava, with its glossy layers and sultry spice. Alexandra V. Jones elevates this classic with her recipe. The brightness of cardamom, paired with the citrus zests, ginger, and cinnamon, was a noticeable and welcome departure. The baklava from my favorite local bakery only uses walnuts and I enjoyed the soft richness from the addition of pistachios. Having never made baklava before, this recipe instantly claimed its place as a beloved dish at my house.

Ingredients

20 sheets good quality phyllo dough, thawed
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
1 pound walnuts, pulsed in a food processor
1/2 pound pistachios, pulsed in a food processor
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
zest of one lemon
zest of one orange
2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground
1 teaspoon cardamom, ground
1 teaspoon ginger, ground
pinch salt
handful whole cloves, for decoration
citrus honey syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup honey
1/2 cup water
juice of one lemon (use the one you zested)
juice of one orange (use the one you zested)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375° F. In a bowl, combine brown sugar, walnuts, pistachios, zests, and spices.
Using melted butter, butter the bottom and sides of a 13 x 9-inch pan. Lay down one sheet of phyllo, then brush with melted butter. Repeat until you have seven layers. Top with one cup of nut mixture. Layer and butter three more layers of phyllo.
Set aside 1 cup of nut mixture. Use the rest of the nut mixture to cover the layers of buttered phyllo. Top with three more butter-phyllo layers. Add the remaining 1 cup of nut mixture. Top with the remaining phyllo layers, buttering between each, and then throughly butter the top.
Cut the top layer of phyllo into your desired pattern. I cut mine vertically into four rows, then horizontally into five rows, then cut each square on the bias. I like to put whole cloves in the middle of each piece. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
While the baklava bakes, make the syrup by combining sugar and water in a small sauce pan until it's bubbling and all the sugar has dissolved. Then add the honey. Remove from heat and add citrus juices. Cool.
Top cooled baklava with syrup and cut. This should make about 40 small pieces.