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BAKLAVA
1-1/2 lb. of Filo Dough (Take out of
Refrigerator 30 minutes before assembly
but leave in the sealed package), 3-1/2 lb. of chopped walnuts,1-1/
lb. of clarified unsalted (sweet) butter, melted, 4 cups of syrup
(recipe below)
Using a 1/2 sheet pan, use a pastry
brush to butter pan layer 12 sheets of filo, buttering each one
well. Use 10 sheets in the middle, buttering each one and sprinkling
nuts over each
sheet. (Use up all the nuts - about 1 cup each layer)
Use 14 sheets of filo on the top, buttering each sheet well. Try to
end the baklava, with a nice unbroken piece of filo on the top.
Refrigerate baklava to give the butter a chance to solidify.
Cut into triangles, squares, or
diamonds, only cutting 3/4 of the way through Baklava.
Baklava is now ready to bake, but can be
refrigerated for several days before
baking, or frozen for a month or two, if boxed properly, until ready
to bake.
Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour until golden brown.
Slowly pour cooled prepared syrup over
hot baklava or hot syrup over cooled
baklava.
SYRUP RECIPE for BAKLAVA
3 cups sugar, 2 cups water, 1/4 cup
lemon juice
Boil for 30 minutes or until syrup
sticks to spoon and cools. It should be the consistency of thin
honey. When you make a big batch, it can take 45 minutes to one hour
of boiling, depending on quantity. Do not refrigerate syrup. The
lemon keeps it from crystallizing.
Each tray of baklava will use about 2
recipes of syrup.
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GALATABOUREKO (Custard in Filo Dough)
2 quarts of milk, 1/2 lb. of Unsalted
(Sweet) Butter, 3/4 cup Sugar, Warm above ingredients.
Add one scant cup of Farina slowly and cook stirring constantly over
medium heat. Be careful not to scorch. Remove from heat and cool
stirring occasionally.
Separate 8 eggs. Beat whites and Beat
Yolks until fluffy. One at a time, add eggs to above ingredients
until all are blended well.
Assembly: For each tray (appx. 15" x
10-1/2 inches or slightly smaller - 2 inches deep), you will need 1
l;b of filo, and 1/2 lb. butter. Place 2 sheets filo on bottom of
tray, buttering in between each sheet. Then place 2 more sheets so
that 1 sheet overlaps each of the four sides of the pan and
overhangs about 2 inches or more.
Pour filling in the pan. Cover with
remaining filo, buttering each sheet. When you have 2 pieces of fil
left, fold over the overlapping filo, butter to seal, and then
finish with remaining two sheets of filo, buttering very well. Score
the top sheets without going into the filling. Tuck all edges in to
make a neat package.
Bake approximately 10 minutes at 400
degrees, then turn the temperature down to 350 degrees and bake
about 50-60 minutes until the filo rises up. Pour cold syrup (same
recipe as for baklava) over slowly, about 1-1/2 cups. Leftover syrup
can be kept in a jar for other use.
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KOULOURAKIA (Braided Cookies)
1 lb. Sweet Butter Cream - Butter well
2-1/2 Cups Sugar Add Sugar - cream well
5 Eggs Beat in the Eggs
1/2 cup Orange Juice Add Orange
Juice and Vanilla to above mix 2 t Vanilla
3 t Baking Powder Add to above
1/4 t Baking Soda Flour (About 4 Cups) Add enough flour to make
a soft dough.
Start with four (4) cups and then add more to shape twists
without being sticky.
Shape into small braids or any shape
desired. Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake at 350 degree until light brown, about 20-25 minutes.
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KOURAMBIETHES (powdered sugar cookies)
1 lb. Unsalted Butter
3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
2 Egg Yolks
1 T Baking Powder
1 T Vanilla
5 Cups Flour, more or less
Whip butter in electric mixer until
white and fluffy, about 20 minutes. Add powdered sugar, egg
yolks, and vanilla. Mix Well. Gradually add flour and beat until
dough is very soft but not sticking to your hands. Make balls
into walnut size and place on ungreased baking sheet. Slightly
flatten each ball.
Bake at 325 Degrees until lightly
browned - 20-25 minutes. IMMEDIATELY remove cookies from cookie
sheet and place on another baking sheet with wax paper, coated
with sifted powdered sugar. Sift more powdered sugar on the tops
of cookies, and move around until cookie is totally covered with
sugar.Cool, remove from sugar and store.
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