For the final day of this years Bake-a-thon, I have a rich and decadent Nutella Baklava with toasted nuts. I had about 10 more baked recipes on my list to choose from and I wish I had the time to try more of them. But unfortunately (fortunately for the waistline and weight), they will have to wait until next year. I am happy that I was able to try some of the recipes that I’ve always wanted to make. I am also thankful to my family and friends who appreciate these homemade goodies.
What is Baklava:
Baklava is a Greek specialty and they are available in a wide range of local variations. They can found in Turkish and many Arabic and Middle Eastern cultures. We had our share of delicious baklava from our local Turkish store in NJ.
Baklava - Easy Dessert to make:
Baklava is an easy to make dessert. Only hard part about the dish is working with phyllo pastry. It is quite delicate to work with and needs to be kept covered with a damp towel to minimize tearing. I got lucky this time and the pastry was really accommodating — just a couple ripped ones but otherwise they were just fine.
Nutella Baklava:
I have a house full of choco-holics, so I wanted to make a chocolate variation. Found this recipe on Jo Cooks. This Nutella Baklava with toasted nuts is a delicious variation to the traditional Baklava. Addition of Nutella makes any dish extra special and this dish is no different. Traditional version only has layers of chopped nuts, but this chocolate version has layers of Nutella along with the nuts.
Addictive Dessert:
Crispy, buttery baked phyllo pastry along with crunchy nuts and sweet Nutella soaked in honey syrup — this is a dessert that is rich and absolutely delicious. A little goes a long way with this dish — you need a crowd to feed this or keep it frozen for those days when sweet cravings occur. Or make it and give it away as edible gifts like me. This is part of the Bake-a-thon 2017.
