Mother’s Day is fast approaching and this dessert might give you brownie points for the next year. In a simple word Y U M !!!!!
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. sugar, split
- 1 large orange, zest and juice, separated
- 1/4 water
- 2 1/2 cups pistachio nuts, crushed
- 1/2 tbsp. cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup butter, more if you need it
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 10 thawed phyllo sheets
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp. whipping cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a small saucepan over a medium heat, put in the 1/2 cup sugar, orange juice and water. When the sugar has completely dissolved, remove from the heat and set aside.
In your food processor combine the pistachio nuts, cinnamon, remaining 1 tbsp. sugar, salt and orange zest. Pulse on high until it resembles a fine sand. Reserve 1/2 cup of this mixture and set aside.
In a small heatproof bowl, microwave the butter and honey on high for 20 seconds or until melted.
On a clean, dry surface, lay out a sheet of phyllo. Brush the entire surface with the butter mixture. Lay a second sheet on top and repeat the procedure. Roughly divide the pistachio mixture into 5 portions.
With the long side of the pastry parallel to you, spoon out a portion of the mixture along the edge to form a 1 inch line. Now, gently and carefully roll this up to form a log. Repeat this step with the remaining 4 portions.
Place the Baklava on the baking sheet and place them snugly together. The space at the end won’t matter. Brush the tops with the remaining butter mixture and bake in the oven for about 17-20 minutes. When they are a golden brown and crisp, remove from the oven and pour the syrup immediately over the rolls. Let cool for approximately 1 hour.
One more step to go. In a heatproof bowl combine the chips and whipping cream. Microwave in 15 second intervals until melted. Stir each time.
Now to serve: cut between the baklava to separate and then cut each log in 3 pieces. Dip each end in the chocolate and then in the nut mixture. Return to the baking sheet to allow the chocolate to set (about 10-15 minutes).
Place on a pretty plate and serve. They will never forget this one and you can say “damn, I did this”.
