Traditional dessert with a chocolate twist - this Nutella Baklava with nuts is great to dessert to serve choco-holics or dessert lovers.
For the final day of this years Bake-a-thon, I have a rich and decadent Nutella Baklava with toasted nuts. I had about 10 more baked recipes on my list to choose from and I wish I had the time to try more of them. But unfortunately (fortunately for the waistline and weight), they will have to wait until next year.
I am happy that I was able to try some of the recipes that I’ve always wanted to make. I am also thankful to my family and friends who appreciate these homemade goodies.
What is Baklava:
Baklava is a Greek specialty and they are available in a wide range of local variations. They can found in Turkish and many Arabic and Middle Eastern cultures. We had our share of delicious baklava from our local Turkish store in NJ.
Baklava - Easy Dessert to make:
Baklava is an easy to make dessert. Only hard part about the dish is working with phyllo pastry. It is quite delicate to work with and needs to be kept covered with a damp towel to minimize tearing. I got lucky this time and the pastry was really accommodating — just a couple ripped ones but otherwise they were just fine.
Nutella Baklava:
I have a house full of choco-holics, so I wanted to make a chocolate variation. Found this recipe on Jo Cooks.
This Nutella Baklava with toasted nuts is a delicious variation to the traditional Baklava. Addition of Nutella makes any dish extra special and this dish is no different. Traditional version only has layers of chopped nuts, but this chocolate version has layers of Nutella along with the nuts.
Addictive Dessert:
Crispy, buttery baked phyllo pastry along with crunchy nuts and sweet Nutella soaked in honey syrup — this is a dessert that is rich and absolutely delicious.
A little goes a long way with this dish — you need a crowd to feed this or keep it frozen for those days when sweet cravings occur. Or make it and give it away as edible gifts like me.
This is part of the Bake-a-thon 2017.
Nutella-Nut Baklava
Ingredients
For the Baklava:
- 24 Phyllo Sheets (about 1½ packs)
- 1¼ cups Unsalted Butter, melted
- 1 cup nutella
- ½~1 cup Almonds
- ½ cup Walnuts
- ½ cup Hazelnuts
For the Syrup:
- ½ cup water
- ¾ cup honey
- 1 Cinnamon stick
Instructions
Prep Ingredients:
- Thaw frozen phyllo sheets according to package instructions. I kept them in the fridge overnight. Then put the package on the counter about 1 hour before making the baklava. Make sure to leave them in the package, they will dry out if left out.
- Toast all the nuts until fragrant, about 4~5 minutes. Let cool and grind in a food processor until fine. Set aside.
- Melt butter and keep ready.
- Microwave Nutella until spreadable and keep ready.
To make Baklava:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush melted butter on a 10"x15" baking pan. If using 9"x13" pan, you might have to cut the phyllo pastry a little bit to fit the pan.
- Place one phyllo sheet in the baking pan and brush with melted butter. Place another sheet and brush with butter. Repeat until you have 6 layers of phyllo. Spread ⅓ of the Nutella on top and sprinkle with ⅓ of the nut mixture.
- Repeat the layering process: 6 sheets of phyllo (each brushed with butter) + Nutella + Nuts.
- So in the end this is how the baklava should be: 1. 6 sheets of phyllo (each brushed with butter) + Nutella + Nuts 2. 6 sheets of phyllo (each brushed with butter) + Nutella + Nuts 3. 6 sheets of phyllo (each brushed with butter) + Nutella + Nuts 4. 6 sheets of phyllo (each brushed with butter)
- Brush the top most layer of phyllo with butter. Using a sharp knife cut the phyllo into squares or diamonds. Bake for 35 minutes or until the phyllo pastry is golden brown on top and crispy around the edges.
Make Syrup:
- While Baklava is baking make the syrup. Combine water, honey and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan, bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5~7 minutes. Turn off the stove and keep ready.
- Once the baklava comes out of the oven, pour the warm syrup evenly over the baklava. Set aside for 3~4 hours for the flavors to mingle. Enjoy!!
Erin Vasicek
These look absolutely perfect and flaky. And I love the addition of Nutella. I will have to try these when I am brave enought o make my own!