In the mood for something sweet? Baklava is an easy desert to make vegan-if you're okay with using honey. Simply use a vegan margarin instead of butter. Original recipe from Simply Recipes. I halved this recipe to fit my square dish and went a little light on the butter/margarin. It's tasty, and tough to keep from eating the whole batch all at once!
INGREDIENTS
For the layers:
- 1 lb. of chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, or pistachios are best, or use a combination of them. I used some cashews also.)
- 1 lb of phyllo dough
- 1 cup of butter, melted
- 1/3 cup of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/3 teaspoon of ground cloves
For the syrup:
- 1 cup of water
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1/2 cup of honey
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 1 cinnamon stick
METHOD
1 Lightly grease a 9x13 pan and pre-heat oven to 350°F / 175°C.
2 Cut the phyllo dough in half so the sheets will fit in the pan. Cover with a damp towel to keep it from drying out.
3 Process the nuts until in small, even sized pieces. Combine with sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. In a separate bowl, melt the butter.
4 Place a sheet of phyllo dough into the pan. Using a pastry brush, brush the phyllo sheet with melted butter. Repeat 7 more times until it is 8 sheets thick, each sheet being "painted" with the butter.
5 Spoon on a thin layer of the nut mixture. Cover with two more sheets of phyllo, brushing each one with butter. Continue to repeat the nut mixture and two buttered sheets of phyllo until the nut mixture is all used up. The top layer should be about 8 phyllo sheets thick, each sheet being individually buttered. Don't worry if the sheets crinkle up a bit.
6 Before baking, cut into equal sized squares using a sharp knife. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until lightly golden brown, and edges appear slightly crisp.
7 While baking, make the syrup. Combine the cinnamon stick, sugar, lemon juice, honey, and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium low heat and let simmer for 7 minutes and slightly thickened. Remove the cinnamon stick and allow to cool. (or pour it while it's still hot- works too).
8 Spoon the cooled syrup over the hot baklava and let cool for at least 4 hours.
Yield: Makes 24 portions.
