After making the apple pomegranate boreks I found myself with a lot of leftover phyllo dough. About the only other phyllo dessert I know is baklava, but I didn’t just want to make another honey and nut baklava. I was thinking of other flavours that might compliment the pistachios, almonds and butter. Then it struck me that sweetened condensed milk has a similar viscosity to honey and might go nicely with the nuts and butter. For flavor, I remembered I still had a brick of vanilla beans in the freezer that my friend got me from Madagascar and decided they would go nicely with the milk rather than a more traditional spice like cardamom.
To maximize the vanilla flavour, I added the scraped out beans to the nut mixture and steeped the pods in the sweetened condensed milk to make a vanilla milk syrup.
I won’t even try to make any claim to authenticity here, but I personally enjoyed this more than the traditional baklavas I’ve made in the past. While they’re rich and creamy on their own, these are even better with a cup of hot tea (or even hot water). I’m not sure what it is, but this baklava goes from having a sweet, slightly creamy flavor to being a creamy explosion of milk and vanilla when you eat it with tea.
This got me to thinking, are there other combination i could use? pumkin seeds + allspice + condensed milk… or perhaps pecans + maple syrup… or maybe even walnuts + honey + pomegranate molasses…
Ingredients
- 1 package phyllo dough defrosted
- 1 1/4 cultured unsalted butter sticks melted (1/2 C + 2 Tbs)
- 1 Cup almonds shelled
- 2 vanilla beans
- 1 Cup pistachios shelled
- 2 tablespoons sugar granulated
- 1 Cup condensed milk sweetened
Steps
- Move the oven rack to the bottom middle position and pre-heat to 300 degrees F.
- Add the almonds to a food processor and pulse a few times until they resemble a rough gravel. Slice the vanilla beans down the center and scrape out the "beans", adding them to the food processor along with the pistachios and sugar (save the pods for later). Continue pulsing another 12-15 times until the nuts are chopped into small pieces.
- To assemble the baklava, brush a generous amount of melted butter onto the bottom and sides of a 9x9 baking pan. Unroll the phyllo dough and cut in half (you should have two 9"x14" stacks of phyllo). Starting at the edge of the pan closest to you, place a sheet of phyllo at the bottom allowing the extra phyllo to drape over the edge furthest from you. Brush the phyllo with melted butter. Fold the extra 5" of phyllo hanging off the side furthest from you onto itself. Brush the top of this surface with butter then lay another piece of phyllo down starting from the edge furthest from you (so the overhang is closest to you), butter then fold the overhang over. Repeat 4 more times.
- Sprinkle about half of the nut mixture evenly over the phyllo. Layer another 4 sheets of phyllo using technique above (buttering and alternating sides you overlap). Evenly spread the rest of the nut mixture on the phyllo and cover with 6 sheets of phyllo using the technique above. To finish, cut 2 sheets of phyllo to be exactly 9"x9", butter and layer. Press down gently on the baklava to allow the nuts to settle.
- Using a serrated edge steak knife, cut the baklava (all the way through) in a crisscross pattern. Drizzle the remaining butter on top brushing the top to ensure they're evenly coated. Put it in the oven for about 1 1/2 hours or until the top is golden brown.
- To make the vanilla milk syrup, put the sweetened condensed milk in a small saucepan along with the vanilla pods and heat over low heat until the mixture is warm and bubbly. Use a spatula to try and scrape any remaining vanilla beans out of the pods and into the milk. Turn off the heat and let the pods steep in the milk until the baklava comes out of the oven.
- When the baklava is golden brown on top, remove it from the oven and immediately pour the vanilla milk syrup evenly over the cuts in the baklava (discarding the vanilla pods). Allow the baklava to cool completely in the pan. You can serve it as soon as its cooled, but it tastes best the next day.
Marc, the baklava looks great – nice twists to the dessert without straying too far from the classics.
Condensed milk is a wonderous ingredient…bravo!
The condensed milk is brilliant (as usual, Marc) — and I think I might enjoy these more than the traditional baklavas too.
Oh, I love baklava and anything with sweetened condensed milk, so this would be right up my alley! Have you ever had galaktaboreko? It’s another Greek dessert with phyllo, with sort of a custardy filling, and it’s so, so good. (Also I probably butchered the spelling, in case you try to google it…) Anyway, if you still have any leftover phyllo, maybe that could be your next experiment, and then you could tell me how to make it! 😉
Hmmm…Vanilla and sweetened condensed milk in baklava? This actually sounds really good! I’ll have to give it a try.
Looks delicious and different from what I am used to seeing!
Marc, the baklava looks great – nice twists to the dessert without straying too far from the classics.
Condensed milk is a wonderous ingredient…bravo!
The condensed milk is brilliant (as usual, Marc) — and I think I might enjoy these more than the traditional baklavas too.
Oh, I love baklava and anything with sweetened condensed milk, so this would be right up my alley! Have you ever had galaktaboreko? It’s another Greek dessert with phyllo, with sort of a custardy filling, and it’s so, so good. (Also I probably butchered the spelling, in case you try to google it…) Anyway, if you still have any leftover phyllo, maybe that could be your next experiment, and then you could tell me how to make it! 😉
Wow, this totally looks worth the trouble of phyllo.
What about pine nuts and rose syrup? Too traditional?
Yum! I wish I had a brick of vanilla pods in my freezer…
I was just thinking of baklava on my drive home about 30 minutes ago. My mum makes it for us for Christmas. So delicious.
Hmmm…Vanilla and sweetened condensed milk in baklava? This actually sounds really good! I’ll have to give it a try.
Looks delicious and different from what I am used to seeing!
Wow, this totally looks worth the trouble of phyllo.
What about pine nuts and rose syrup? Too traditional?
Yum! I wish I had a brick of vanilla pods in my freezer…
I was just thinking of baklava on my drive home about 30 minutes ago. My mum makes it for us for Christmas. So delicious.
That is FANTASTIC, Marc! (Well, I do love me some condensed milk…) I love this baking run you’ve been on. (how predictable of me!) All the variations you’ve suggested sound incredible, especially the maple one!
I think baklava lends itself quite easily to many flavour combinations and ingredients…you’ve easily proved that Marc!
Mmm I’m definitely liking what I see there. Pastry, pistachios and sweetened condensed milk? They would all be in my top 5 ingredients 😛
That is FANTASTIC, Marc! (Well, I do love me some condensed milk…) I love this baking run you’ve been on. (how predictable of me!) All the variations you’ve suggested sound incredible, especially the maple one!
I think baklava lends itself quite easily to many flavour combinations and ingredients…you’ve easily proved that Marc!
Mmmmm – looks absolutely great!
Mmm I’m definitely liking what I see there. Pastry, pistachios and sweetened condensed milk? They would all be in my top 5 ingredients 😛
Hi Marc!
I always ate baklava since I was a kid but the traditional one but the adding of sweetened condensed milk and vanilla make it to next level. I imagine with a tea and must be delicious! The combo pecans and maple syrup sound very yummy 🙂
Gera .:. sweetsfoods
Mmmmm – looks absolutely great!
You had me at “condensed.”
Hi Marc!
I always ate baklava since I was a kid but the traditional one but the adding of sweetened condensed milk and vanilla make it to next level. I imagine with a tea and must be delicious! The combo pecans and maple syrup sound very yummy 🙂
Gera .:. sweetsfoods
You had me at “condensed.”
Very clever ‘twist’ on the Baklava with the condensed milk. It makes a lot of sense. I can almost taste it. Now if you ever have any leftovers or in need of a second opinion (or third) i’m just a quick ‘tweet’ away! haha.
Gotta love the flakiness of phyllo. There’s nothing else like it.
Very clever ‘twist’ on the Baklava with the condensed milk. It makes a lot of sense. I can almost taste it. Now if you ever have any leftovers or in need of a second opinion (or third) i’m just a quick ‘tweet’ away! haha.
I love baklava and your versions sound EVEN better!
Gotta love the flakiness of phyllo. There’s nothing else like it.
I love baklava and your versions sound EVEN better!
I love baklava but your version is less syrupy than original. I definitely must try this… Thank you for the recipe!
Happy Holidays!
looks great! so delicious! 🙂
I love baklava but your version is less syrupy than original. I definitely must try this… Thank you for the recipe!
Happy Holidays!
looks great! so delicious! 🙂
I really like the sound of this version of baklava!
I really like the sound of this version of baklava!
Hi there.
Great looking Baklava!
(Also, I love your WP theme. Did you build it yourself or is it based on a pre built theme? If so could I have a link please.)
Cheers.
P.
Hi there.
Great looking Baklava!
(Also, I love your WP theme. Did you build it yourself or is it based on a pre built theme? If so could I have a link please.)
Cheers.
P.
Wow, looks and sounds fantastic. My mouth is watering as I’m reading. Best of luck in the new year Marc!
Wow, looks and sounds fantastic. My mouth is watering as I’m reading. Best of luck in the new year Marc!
Thanks Peter, although they may have been even better if I’d dipped them in chocolate;-) Thanks JS, they’re still pretty sweet, but it’s the creaminess adds a new dimension. Joanna, I’ve never had it, but it sounds amazing. I’ll have to find a nice Greek bakery around here so I can give it a try. Thanks Melissa, tell us how it goes if you do give it a try. HoneyB, I tried to change things up a bit, that’s the fun part of cooking for me:-) Heather, ooOOO I like the sound of that although with 2 C of nuts,… Read more »
Thanks Peter, although they may have been even better if I’d dipped them in chocolate;-) Thanks JS, they’re still pretty sweet, but it’s the creaminess adds a new dimension. Joanna, I’ve never had it, but it sounds amazing. I’ll have to find a nice Greek bakery around here so I can give it a try. Thanks Melissa, tell us how it goes if you do give it a try. HoneyB, I tried to change things up a bit, that’s the fun part of cooking for me:-) Heather, ooOOO I like the sound of that although with 2 C of nuts,… Read more »
Wait… Did you just manage to use the words “pomegranate molasses” in a post on baklava? Marc, you evil genius!
Baklava is one of my favorite desserts, this was beautifully executed! The vanilla milk syrup sounds like the cherry on top.
Wait… Did you just manage to use the words “pomegranate molasses” in a post on baklava? Marc, you evil genius!
Baklava is one of my favorite desserts, this was beautifully executed! The vanilla milk syrup sounds like the cherry on top.