Walnut Almond Honey Baklava
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Baklavas with toasted walnuts and almonds layered in buttered phyllo, soaked in a honey hydromel syrup with lemon zest and cinnamon. Adjusted nuts’ ratio, swapped pecans for walnuts for a graham-like warmth. Lower oven temp slightly, extended baking time a bit for deeper color. Syrup stirred to dissolve sugar fully, aromatics removed after boil. Cut into 16 squares for uniform crisp edges. Rest at room temp for 6-8 hours to set syrup, binds layers. Keeps well in airtight container up to 10 days.
Prep:
35 min
Cook:
Total:
Servings:
16 servings
#Mediterranean
#nuts
#phyllo
#honey syrup
#dessert
#baking
#pastry
Crunch. Aroma of cinnamon and toasted nuts drifts through kitchen. Butter sizzling in pan. Syrup bubbles with honey-thick gloss. Layers of flaky phyllo teasing with golden hue. Mistake once: ran syrup cold over hot baklava, soggy mess. Learned: hot syrup, better soak. Nuts pulsed unevenly, texture lost. Flour dusted on counter helps handle phyllo without warping sheets. I tend to swap pecans for walnuts; deeper, less sweet. Hydromel adds mystery but optional, orange water shines too. Watch color, don’t rush. Ten days in airtight container, flakes soften but flavors build. Set aside for guests or risk disappearing bites yourself.
Ingredients
Honey Hydromel Syrup
- 180 ml honey (3/4 cup)
- 152 g sugar (about 3/4 cup minus 1 tbsp)
- 80 ml water (a little less than 1/3 cup)
- 1 long lemon zest strip, peeled with a knife or fine vegetable peeler
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 30 ml hydromel (2 tablespoons, optional)
Baklava
- 95 g walnuts, toasted (just under 1 cup; replace pecans for earthier bite)
- 85 g almonds, toasted (1/2 cup)
- 17 ml sugar (1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon for deeper sweetness)
- 1.5 ml ground cinnamon (about 1/3 teaspoon)
- 115 g salted butter, melted (1/2 cup)
- 8 sheets frozen phyllo, thawed, trimmed or cut into 21.5 cm squares (8 1/2 inches)
About the ingredients
Nuts toasted for crunch and fuller flavor, don’t skip or microwave them—they go smoky fast. Hydromel optional, classic honey syrup works fine as backup. Keep phyllo covered to avoid dryness; tears inevitable but patch with butter. Sugar amount tweaked down slightly; personal preference on sweetness balance. Cinnamon measured carefully; overuse overwhelms nut blend. Butter melted gently—hot spots ruin phyllo sheets during brushing. Lemon zest adds bright counterpoint to sweet syrup; use fresh peel avoiding pith bitterness. Water amount just enough to dissolve sugar without watering down syrup. Try different nuts for creativity—pistachios, hazelnuts. Salted butter preferred; salt rounds flavor but unsalted plus pinch works.
Method
Honey Hydromel Syrup
- Start with small saucepan. Honey, sugar, water into it. Turn heat medium-high. Stir constantly. Watch carefully. Sugar must dissolve fully; crystal grit ruins smooth syrup.
- Add lemon zest strip, cinnamon stick. Let everything boil gently, bubbling up like a lazy creek. Around 6-7 minutes, syrup thickens slightly, glossy sheen visible. Remove from heat. Allow to cool enough so syrup still warm but not scalding.
- Take out lemon peel and cinnamon stick. Compost or discard. Stir in hydromel, if using. It adds a subtle floral tang, but not mandatory.
Baklava Assembly
- Preheat oven to about 145°C (295°F)—lower than usual. Slow roast phyllo without burning edges. Rack set mid-level, air circulates better there.
- Butter a square baking pan, 20x20 cm (8-inch). Use plenty of butter to avoid sticking, and flavor boost.
- Pulse toasted walnuts and almonds coarsely in food processor. Not too fine; want texture and crunch. Transfer to bowl, stir in sugar and cinnamon. Mix vibrant, slightly grainy nut sugar blend.
- Line pan with one phyllo layer, spread evenly, edges overlapping if needed. Brush generously with melted butter. Repeat layering three more times, each brushed with butter.
- Spread one third of nut mixture evenly over this phyllo stack, firm gentle press but no smashing.
- Repeat layering: 4 buttered phyllo sheets, then nut mix again. Final topping: last third nut mix followed by 4 phyllo sheets, all butter brushed. Total 16 sheets and 3 nut layers sandwiched in.
- Using sharp knife, cut carefully into 16 squares before baking. Cutting after baking breaks layers and messes syrup absorption.
- Pop into oven, bake about 65 minutes. Surface turns golden brown, edges crisp, nut layers toasted scent fills kitchen. Watch coloring closely last 10 minutes, brown but not burnt.
- Once out, immediately drizzle warm syrup evenly over hot baklava. Syrup should soak and sizzle slightly. If syrup cools, won’t penetrate nicely.
- Let rest uncovered at room temp minimum 6 hours; overnight better. Syrup thickens inside, phyllo remains crisp on edges, chewy where soaked. Don't refrigerate—humidity kills crunch.
- Store leftover in airtight container on counter up to 10 days. If too sticky next day, brief flash in toaster oven refreshes layers.
Tips and Substitutions
- Pecans swapped out for walnuts - nuttier, less sweet, earthier. Almonds add crunch; try pistachios for color pop.
- If no hydromel, add splash of orange blossom water or rose water for aroma.
- Use unsalted butter plus pinch of salt if preferred. Salted butter gives slight briny contrast.
- Phyllo sheets dry quickly; keep covered with damp towel while working to avoid tearing.
- Cut cleanly with sharp serrated knife, wiggle no more than needed.
- Don’t skip syrup resting time; flavor and texture evolve during soak.
- Overbaking phyllo produces brittle, burned edges; note color shifts from pale gold to rich amber.
Cooking tips
Syrup boiled till shiny, just thickened, not caramelized. Stir constantly; sugar crystals can ruin syrup. Let cool to thick but pourable state. Remove zest and cinnamon to prevent bitterness. Oven lower temp prevents burning brittle edges—phyllo delicate. Butter every layer keeps phyllo moist and golden, no skimping. Nut mixture coarse, not powder—texture matters. Cut pre-baking to keep neat. Baking time extended 5 minutes for deeper roast. Drizzle warm syrup hot on hot baklava layers to facilitate absorption and sticky glaze formation. Rest minimum 6 hours room temp for syrup to set and flavors meld—got impatient once, sloppy baklava. Store airtight, flavors deepen over days; crispiness softens but pleasant chewiness develops.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Nuts toasted just right, watch closely; microwave ruins them fast. Pulse coarse not powder; want crunch retained. Adds texture and nut flavor balance. Adjust nuts for color too; pistachios pop but swap carefully. Salted butter melts smooth, adds subtle brine; unsalted needs pinch of salt to avoid flat edges.
- 💡 Phyllo sheets dry lightning fast; cover with damp towel while layering. Butter every sheet fully or edges burn. Oven set lower 145°C keeps phyllo from snapping brittle while baking longer for color. Cutting before baking stops messy syrup leaks. Serrated knife best; small wiggle, don’t saw wildly or mess layers.
- 💡 Syrup thick but pourable, bubble gently not mad boil; burns honey flavor. Remove zest and cinnamon after boil or syrup turns bitter. Hydromel optional, orange blossom or rose water swap for aroma. Stir constantly sugar to dissolve fully. If syrup cools drip, baklava soggy; drizzle hot syrup on hot pastry only.
- 💡 Rest baklava uncovered at room temp minimum 6 hours; syrup thickens inside, phyllo edges crisp, center chewy. Refrigerate kills crunch from humidity, skip cold storage unless unavoidable. Store airtight up to 10 days; flakes soften, flavors deepen slowly. If sticky next day, quick toaster oven flash refreshes layers crisp again.
- 💡 Oven monitoring last 10 minutes crucial; golden brown edges but not burnt; burnt tastes bitter bad. Baking longer lowers temp, avoids quick burning edge risk. Nut mix layers pressed down gentle, no smashing or dry dough. Butter layers boost moisture. Cut carefully and evenly for consistent squares with crisp edges.
Common questions
Can I swap nuts?
Yes swap walnuts with pecans or pistachios for texture or color. Pistachios brighten, pecans richer. But nuts toast time varies so watch closely. Nut coarseness changes mouthfeel; fine powder loses crunch.
What if syrup crystallizes?
Stir vigorously on low before boil next time. Keep sugar dissolved fully. Crystals cause gritty syrup texture. Add tiny lemon juice splash sometimes helps dissolve over time but avoid adding zest after boil to stop bitterness.
How to fix soggy baklava?
Usually poured cold syrup or too short rest. Drizzle hot syrup on hot pastry only. Rest uncovered at room temp long enough lets syrup set thick, phyllo crisp edges stay crisp. Refrigeration increases moisture, avoid if you want crunch.
Best storage method?
Airtight container at room temp up to 10 days if no humidity. Refrigerate short term if necessary but expect loss of crispiness. Leftover baklava reheats well brief toaster oven flash to refresh texture. Avoid freezer; phyllo texture suffers badly from thawing moisture.
