Orange Baklava
Orange Baklava
Ingredients
For the Orange Syrup
- 4 oranges, for zest and 1 cup juice
- 2 cups water
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 cinnamon sticks
For the Nut Filling
- 2 cups pecans, chopped
- 2 cups walnuts, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For Assembly
- 1 pound unsalted butter
- 1 pound fillo dough, thawed
For Garnish (Optional)
- as needed powdered sugar
Instructions
- 1
To prepare the oranges for juicing, roll them on a cutting board using the palm of your hand to soften them.
⏱️ 2 min
- 2
Using a vegetable peeler, carefully remove the zest from the oranges, ensuring to avoid the white pith. Place the orange zest into a pot.
⏱️ 5 min
- 3
Cut the zested oranges in half and use a manual juicer to extract 1 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice. Pour the orange juice into the pot with the zest.
⏱️ 5 min
- 4
Add 2 cups of water, 2 1/2 cups of granulated sugar, and 4 cinnamon sticks to the pot.
⏱️ 2 min
- 5
Place the pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a rapid boil.
⏱️ 5 min
- 6
Reduce the heat and allow the syrup to simmer and thicken for 16 to 20 minutes.
⏱️ 20 min
- 7
Turn off the heat and let the syrup cool completely. This will take at least 2 hours.
⏱️ 120 min
- 8
Once cooled, strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the orange zest and cinnamon sticks. The resulting syrup should yield approximately 2 cups.
⏱️ 3 min
- 9
Add 2 cups of chopped pecans, 2 cups of chopped walnuts, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt to a food processor.
⏱️ 3 min
- 10
Process the mixture until the nuts are finely chopped, resembling the texture of sand, but avoid over-processing into a paste.
⏱️ 2 min
- 11
Cut 1 pound of unsalted butter into several pieces and place them in a small saucepan. Melt the butter completely over low heat.
⏱️ 5 min
- 12
Unwrap 1 pound of fillo dough and immediately cover it with a damp kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out while you work.
⏱️ 1 min
- 13
Lightly brush the bottom of a rectangular glass baking dish (approximately 9x13 inches) with some of the melted butter.
⏱️ 1 min
- 14
Place one sheet of fillo dough into the buttered dish. Lightly brush the surface of the fillo sheet with melted butter. Repeat this step for a total of 7 sheets of fillo dough, buttering each sheet individually.
⏱️ 7 min
- 15
Evenly sprinkle 1/4 of the prepared nut mixture over the 7th buttered fillo sheet.
⏱️ 1 min
- 16
Place another sheet of fillo dough on top of the nuts and brush it with butter.
⏱️ 1 min
- 17
Continue layering fillo sheets and buttering them, alternating with sprinkling 1/4 of the nut mixture after every few sheets, until all the nut mixture is used. Ensure you save approximately 7 sheets of fillo for the top layers.
⏱️ 10 min
- 18
Once all the nuts are used, layer the remaining 7 sheets of fillo dough, buttering each one as before.
⏱️ 7 min
- 19
After the final sheet of fillo is buttered, use a sharp knife to score and cut the baklava into desired shapes, such as squares.
⏱️ 3 min
- 20
Preheat your oven to 375°F.
⏱️ 10 min•🌡️ 375
- 21
Bake the baklava in the preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes, or until it turns a beautiful golden brown.
⏱️ 25 min•🌡️ 375
- 22
Immediately upon removing the hot baklava from the oven, carefully pour the completely cooled orange syrup evenly over the entire surface.
⏱️ 2 min
- 23
Allow the baklava to cool completely, allowing the syrup to fully absorb. This will take at least 1 hour.
⏱️ 60 min
- 24
Once cooled, optionally dust with powdered sugar before serving.
⏱️ 1 min
Kitchen Tools
Orange Baklava
For the Orange Syrup
- 4 oranges, for zest and 1 cup juice
- 2 cups water
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 cinnamon sticks
For the Nut Filling
- 2 cups pecans, chopped
- 2 cups walnuts, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
For Assembly
- 1 pound unsalted butter
- 1 pound fillo dough, thawed
For Garnish (Optional)
- as needed powdered sugar
Instructions
- 1
To prepare the oranges for juicing, roll them on a cutting board using the palm of your hand to soften them.
⏱️ 2 min - 2
Using a vegetable peeler, carefully remove the zest from the oranges, ensuring to avoid the white pith. Place the orange zest into a pot.
⏱️ 5 min - 3
Cut the zested oranges in half and use a manual juicer to extract 1 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice. Pour the orange juice into the pot with the zest.
⏱️ 5 min - 4
Add 2 cups of water, 2 1/2 cups of granulated sugar, and 4 cinnamon sticks to the pot.
⏱️ 2 min - 5
Place the pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a rapid boil.
⏱️ 5 min - 6
Reduce the heat and allow the syrup to simmer and thicken for 16 to 20 minutes.
⏱️ 20 min - 7
Turn off the heat and let the syrup cool completely. This will take at least 2 hours.
⏱️ 120 min - 8
Once cooled, strain the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the orange zest and cinnamon sticks. The resulting syrup should yield approximately 2 cups.
⏱️ 3 min - 9
Add 2 cups of chopped pecans, 2 cups of chopped walnuts, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt to a food processor.
⏱️ 3 min - 10
Process the mixture until the nuts are finely chopped, resembling the texture of sand, but avoid over-processing into a paste.
⏱️ 2 min - 11
Cut 1 pound of unsalted butter into several pieces and place them in a small saucepan. Melt the butter completely over low heat.
⏱️ 5 min - 12
Unwrap 1 pound of fillo dough and immediately cover it with a damp kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out while you work.
⏱️ 1 min - 13
Lightly brush the bottom of a rectangular glass baking dish (approximately 9x13 inches) with some of the melted butter.
⏱️ 1 min - 14
Place one sheet of fillo dough into the buttered dish. Lightly brush the surface of the fillo sheet with melted butter. Repeat this step for a total of 7 sheets of fillo dough, buttering each sheet individually.
⏱️ 7 min - 15
Evenly sprinkle 1/4 of the prepared nut mixture over the 7th buttered fillo sheet.
⏱️ 1 min - 16
Place another sheet of fillo dough on top of the nuts and brush it with butter.
⏱️ 1 min - 17
Continue layering fillo sheets and buttering them, alternating with sprinkling 1/4 of the nut mixture after every few sheets, until all the nut mixture is used. Ensure you save approximately 7 sheets of fillo for the top layers.
⏱️ 10 min - 18
Once all the nuts are used, layer the remaining 7 sheets of fillo dough, buttering each one as before.
⏱️ 7 min - 19
After the final sheet of fillo is buttered, use a sharp knife to score and cut the baklava into desired shapes, such as squares.
⏱️ 3 min - 20
Preheat your oven to 375°F.
⏱️ 10 min•🌡️ 375 - 21
Bake the baklava in the preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes, or until it turns a beautiful golden brown.
⏱️ 25 min•🌡️ 375 - 22
Immediately upon removing the hot baklava from the oven, carefully pour the completely cooled orange syrup evenly over the entire surface.
⏱️ 2 min - 23
Allow the baklava to cool completely, allowing the syrup to fully absorb. This will take at least 1 hour.
⏱️ 60 min - 24
Once cooled, optionally dust with powdered sugar before serving.
⏱️ 1 min