This homemade Bakhlava is a delicious Middle Eastern dessert made with layers of phyllo pastry, a nut mixture, and a sweet syrup. It combines walnuts, pistachios, cashews, and fragrant spices to create a rich and flavorful treat. Perfect for special occasions or just to satisfy a sweet craving, serve it with ice cream for an extra indulgence.
1: Put walnuts, pistachios, cashews, sugar, ghee or butter, cinnamon, salt, and cardamom seeds in a food processor and grind to a semi fine meal.
2: Melt 2 sticks of butter and set aside.
3: Take the phyllo pastry out of the package and cover with a damp cloth to prevent drying.
4: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
5: In a 9x13 pan, brush with melted butter and lay the first sheet of pastry, then brush with butter. Repeat with 5 more sheets (a total of 6).
6: Spread about 1 cup of the nut mixture on top, pressing down gently.
7: Lay another sheet of phyllo pastry on top, brush with butter, and repeat with 5 more sheets (6 in total for the middle layer).
8: Spread another layer of the nut mixture and top with 15 sheets of phyllo pastry, brushing butter between each sheet.
9: Cut diagonally to make diamond shapes, pour the remaining melted butter over, and bake for 40 minutes, checking at 30 minutes for a light to medium gold color.
10: While baking, make the syrup by stirring sugar, honey, orange juice, orange peel, rose water, cinnamon stick, cardamom pod, crushed fennel, and sea salt over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves.
11: Pour the syrup over the bakhlava as soon as it comes out of the oven.
12: Drizzle chopped pistachios over the bakhlava.
13: Set aside for at least 4 hours or overnight for best flavor. Serve with ice cream and enjoy.
