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Baklawa is probably the most popular and well known Arab dessert. And for good reason. The Crispy filo. The perfectly spiced nuts. The thick syrup. The textures and flavors just compliment each other so well. It’s literally perfection. I’m drooling thinking about it! I just love baklawa in all its forms. Whether it’s my mama’s baklawa fingers, or Aunt Kathy’s (my childhood neighbor) perfect greek baklava, I just LOVE it.
My mama is talented. For as long as I can remember, she’s made these amazing baklawa fingers. She would always have a few rolls ready in the fridge and would bake as needed. Believe me, they were always needed. We’d eat them as fast as she’d bake them. The filo is crispy and wraps around the lightly spiced walnuts perfectly. The syrup is slightly thicker, and just sticks to the baklawa in all the right places. It’s literally the best dessert.
Now, this isn’t my mama’s recipe, because I don’t think anyone can replicate that perfection. But, it’s as close as it gets. I used the same Phyllo dough as the Warbat, because it’s my absolute favorite brand. I also used the same simple syrup recipe. Make sure to read the recipe notes for some tips to make the process easier for you. I hope you enjoy these as much as we do!
Baklava Fingers – Baklawa Fingers
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5 from 5 reviews
Crispy Filo, spiced walnuts, and sticky syrup. The best textures and flavors to make the PERFECT Baklava.
- Author: Nur Ashour
- Prep Time: 40 Minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 120 pieces 1x
Ingredients
UnitsScale
1 16 oz Package Athens Phyllo Dough
16 oz Finely Chopped Walnuts
2 tbsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/8 tsp Ground Cloves
1 1/2 cups Melted Butter
2 cups Simple Syrup
Instructions
Melt your butter and set it aside. Make sure your simple syrup is room temperature. It cannot even be warm, or your baklawa will get soggy. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Finely chop your walnuts. You can use the food processor, but use the pulse setting so you don’t end up with a sandy texture. Mix in the spices and set aside. Have a half sheet pan and damp tea towel ready next to you.
Unroll your phyllo, and remove two sheets. Make sure to keep the rest covered or it will dry up. Fold over 1 inch of the wider side over. This will give you a thicker place to put the walnuts. Line up this edge with walnuts. Roll it up tightly and place it on the half sheet. Cover it with a damp towel. Continue doing this till you finish the dough and walnuts. You should get 20 rolls.
Once you’re done, remove the white foam or film off the butter. Depending how long you melted it, it’ll either float to the top or sit at the bottom. You’ll know, because it’s white. Scoop it off or just be careful not to pour it if it’s sitting on the bottom. Evenly pour the butter all over the baklawa.
Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes. As soon as it comes out of the oven drench it with the cooled simpIe syrup. Allow it to cool and absorb it for about an hour. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
Phyllo dough dries fast. Make sure to keep the sheets you’re not working with rolled up and covered. Make sure the finished baklava is covered with a damp towel while you finish the rest.
If you are using a food processor to chop the walnuts, make sure to pulse it. This will chop it up fine rather than giving you a fine sand texture.
DON’T start this recipe if you don’t already have cooled simple syrup. If you pour hot syrup on this, it will get soggy. Make your syrup ahead of time and have it on hand.
You can slice your baklava before baking if you want. I do that when I’m making triangles, but for this I chose to slice after. It’s honestly purely preference. If you choose to slice before baking, wait until you pour the butter and use a sharp knife. Also make sure you’re okay with cutting on the pan they’re in.
I have a video on instagram showing you how to roll them and how to crimp them. Crimping is optional, but I like the look of it.
