Image by JCarrot

Baklava, which means “sweet-of-a-thousand-layers,” is a traditional Purim treat throughout the Middle East as well as enjoyed throughout the year. This version consists of individual pastries.

(About 24 pastries)

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Syrup:

2 cups sugar

1 cup water

2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Filling:

4 cups (about 1 pound) finely chopped almonds, walnuts, or pistachios or any combination

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 pound phyllo dough, cut in half crosswise

About 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, melted

1) To make the syrup: Stir the sugar and water over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Stop stirring, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Add the cinnamon and, if desired, lemon juice and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Let cool and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

2) To make the filling: Combine all of the filling ingredients.

3) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a large baking sheet.

4) To assemble: Place 1 phyllo sheet on a flat surface and brush with butter or margarine. Place 2 tablespoons filling near a short end, fold the long sides over the filling, and starting from the filling end, roll up jelly roll style. (The pastries can be frozen for up to 3 months. Do not thaw; increase the baking time by about 10 minutes.)

5) Place the pastries, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart and brush with butter or margarine. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

6) Drizzle the cooled syrup slowly over the hot pastry. Cover and store at room temperature or in the freezer.

VARIATION:

Date, Chocolate, and Nut Baklava: Reduce the nuts to 2 cups and the sugar to 2 tablespoons and add 6 ounces (about 1 cup) coarsely chop dates and 6 ounces coarsely chop semisweet chocolate.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

2X match on all Passover gifts!

$90 → $180 $180 → $360

$360 → $720

Other amount