Orange Blossom Baklava Cups

Categories:

phyllo

Pastries

Desserts

Eid

This is an international dessert if there ever was one! Taking baklava, a dessert with origins in Turkey, and combining it with orange blossom water, found frequently in North African and Middle Eastern cooking, we created a dessert that is both rich and floral. Pass these around at a party, and experience a world of flavour!

Prep Time

35 minutes

Cook Time

18 minutes

Ingredients

Servings

12 Baklava Cups

For the filling:

¾ cup (110 g) whole almonds
¾ cup (96 g) whole cashews
¼ cup (50 g) Redpath® Granulated Sugar
2 tsp (2 g) finely grated lemon zest
2 tsp (8 g) cinnamon
½ tsp (2 g) ground cardamom
1 tsp (5 ml) orange blossom water
½ tsp (3 g) salt

For the phyllo cups:

6 sheets prepared frozen phyllo pastry, thawed
¼ cup (60 ml) unsalted butter, melted

For the syrup:

¾ cup (163 g) Redpath® Golden Yellow Sugar
1/3 cup (80 ml) water
2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice
2 tsp (10 ml) orange blossom water

Instructions

For the filling:

Step 1

Pre-heat oven to 350°F (180°C) and have ready a 12-cup muffin tin.

Step 2

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, process the almonds, cashews and Redpath ® Granulated Sugar until the nuts are coarsely chopped, about 20 seconds.

Step 3

Add the lemon zest, cinnamon, ground cardamom, orange blossom water and salt and pulse a few times to combine; set aside.

For the phyllo cups:

Step 1

Unwrap thawed phyllo and separate 6 sheets. Roll up leftovers, wrap well and return to freezer for another use.

Step 2

Cover phyllo sheets with a lightly dampened tea towel to keep from drying out.

Step 3

Remove one sheet and brush with butter. Repeat until you have a stack of six sheets. Cut stack with a pizza cutter or sharp knife into 4 x 4 inch (10 centimetre x 10 centimetre) squares (discard any small amount of trimmings).

Step 4

Press into a muffin tin to create phyllo cups.

Step 5

Divide the filling evenly between the phyllo cups (about 3 tablespoons in each cup).

Step 6

Bake until pastry is brown and crispy, 16 to 18 minutes.

For the syrup:

Step 1

While pastry is baking heat the Redpath ® Golden Yellow Sugar, water, lemon juice and orange blossom water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves, remove from heat.

Step 2

Pour 1 tablespoon (15 millilitres) of warm syrup over each baklava cup 10 minutes after they are removed from the oven. Set muffin tin on a rack and allow to cool completely before serving.

Step 3

To serve warm, gently reheat in a 300°F (150°C) for 15 minutes.

Chef's Tip

*Orange blossom water may also be labeled orange flower water and can be found in grocery stores or specialty stores carrying middle eastern or mediterranean products. If using orange blossom essence reduce the amount by half, as essence is much stronger.

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