Chocolate Baklava

Baklava de chocolate — Chocolate baklava

Baklava is a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey. It is characteristic of the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire and Central Asia.

I find that chocolate and baklava were meant to be, since the bitter chocolate makes a sublime combination with this sweet pastry. Serve with a vanilla icecream scoop, and get ready to hear an ovation at home!

{Chocolate baklava}

Preparation time: 20 min

Cooking time: 45 min

Serves: 12

Ingredients

Honey vanilla syrup:

250 ml water (1 cup)
200 g sugar (1 cup)
50 honey (4/5 cup)
juice of half a lemon (optional)
1 vanilla pod (optional)

Baklava:

100 -150 g melted butter, cold (1 stick aprox)
1 package filo pastry (20 sheets the size of your pan)
250 g dark chocolate chips (9 ounces)
250 g chopped nuts of your choice: pistachio, hazelnuts, walnuts, … (9 ounces)
1 tbs powdered cinnamon

Directions

Combine the syrup ingredients in a medium saucepan and
bring to boil. Let the syrup simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes. Discard vanilla pod and allow the syrup to cool before use (can be stored in the fridge).
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine finely chopped nuts, cinnamon, and chocolate chips
Unroll package of filo dough; cut filo sheets into the size of your pan. Discard scraps. Cover with a damp towel to prevent filo sheets from drying out.
Butter the baking pan, and then, working with one filo sheet at a time, butter and stack 8 sheets of phyllo.
Spread half of nut mixture evenly over layered phyllo sheets
Brush next filo sheet on both sides with butter, then place on top of nuts. Add 3 more filo sheets, brushing each one with butter, and then top with the remaining nut and chocolate mixture
Brush next filo sheet on both sides with butter, then place on top of nuts. Add 7 more filo sheets, brushing each one with butter
Using a sharp knife, cut baklava into 12 squares. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes, first 20 minutes uncovered, the cover with aluminium foil, to prevent it from browning too much
Immediately pour the cold syrup over the hot baklava and let stand until completely cool, preferably overnight.

NOTES:

This recipe is usually prepared with clarified butter which is very easy to prepare at home, as you can check in this recipe by David Lebovitz. The recipe was inspired by this one made by Rick Spoon
Instead of vanilla, you might use cinnamon, cardamom,… for your syrup
Ideally, serve the baklava warm with a scoop of vanilla ice
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12 Comments

Migle on 12 September 2012 at 10:17 am

Oh, I really have to try this one! It’s already meant to be my favorite!
Your pictures are more than gorgeous!!!!

Nicole Welsh on 12 September 2012 at 7:11 pm

250 grams equals about 9 ounces not 9 lbs.

Rust on 13 September 2012 at 11:33 pm

Oh my gosh!

Javelin Warrior on 14 September 2012 at 3:35 pm

It’s been SOOOO long since I’ve had true baklava and now I’m craving a whole pan of it! Those layers…that sticky sweetness…wow. I’m featuring this post in today’s Food Fetish Friday (with a link-back and attribution as always). Thanks for always inspiring me with your creations…