European Recipes: Greek Recipes: Baklava With Cooky Filling

* Exported from MasterCook *

                         BAKLAVA WITH COOKY FILLING

Recipe By     :
Serving Size : 36   Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Greek                            Desserts

   Amount Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
                         Karen Mintzias
                         -----COOKY FILLING-----
    2       c            Sweet butter
    1       c            Confectioners' sugar
    1                    Egg yolk
    1       t            Vanilla or almond extract
    4       c            Flour
                         -----SYRUP-----
    4       c            Granulated sugar
    4       c            Water
    1       c            Honey
                         Lemon juice to taste
                         -----BAKLAVA-----
    1       lb           Toasted blanched almonds *
      1/2   c            Zwieback crumbs
    4       tb           Granulated sugar
    1       d            Cinnamon
    1       lb           Phyllo pastry sheets
    1 1/2   c            Sweet butter -- melted

   *Note: Either toasted blanched almonds, or walnut meats, or half of each,
   (finely chopped) may be used.

   Cooky Filling: Cream the 2 cups sweet butter until light. Gradually beat
   in the confectioners' sugar and continue to beat until mixture is fluffy.
   Add egg yolk and vanilla or almond extract and blend well. Work in about 4
   cups flour to make a medium-soft dough. Set aside and make syrup.

   Syrup: In a saucepan combine the granulated sugar and water. Bring to a
   boil and boil for 15 minutes or until syrup is slightly thick. Add honey
   and again bring to the boiling point. Add lemon juice to taste, and cool.

   Mix almonds or walnuts, or a combination of the two, with zwieback, 4 T
   granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Brush 2 sheets of phyllo pastry evenly
   with butter and sprinkle with nut mixture. Place 2 buttered sheets of
   phyllo on top and sprinkle with nut mixture. Shape a portion of cooky
   filling into a 1/2-inch-thick roll and place the roll along one edge of the
   pastry sheets. Roll up loosely, cut into 2-inch slices, and place slices
   in a buttered cake pan. (Continue in this method until all phyllo pastry
   and/or cooky filling is used.) Brush tops of each slice with butter and
   bake in a 350 F oven for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Dip the hot
   baklava slices, one at a time, in cold syrup, allowing each piece to remain
   in the syrup for a few minutes.