Armenian baklava: a step-by-step recipe with photos

Armenian baklava is a delicious Eastern dessert with a vibrant nutty flavor. In this article, we'll explain the differences between the different types of baklava and offer a unique step-by-step recipe with a full list of ingredients and photos of each preparation step.

Nutritional value per serving

367.8 kcal

Proteins: 5.7 g
Fats: 17.8 g
Carbohydrates: 50.7 g

*Nutritional value is calculated per 100g of ingredients

Total time: 2 hours
Time in the kitchen: 58 min
Complexity:

It's easy and straightforward to prepare, but it does require some experience. Not everyone can do it right the first time.
Number of servings: 30

Baklava (also often referred to as "baklava", from the word baɣla - to wrap) is a dish whose recipe can be found in Ottoman cookbooks dating back to the 15th century.

The dish is part of the national cuisines of many Eastern nations. Depending on the recipe, the nuts used for the filling, and the preparation methods, there are the following types of baklava:

Turkish;
Armenian;
Azerbaijan (Baku);
Greek.

The filling can be made with hazelnuts, pistachios, almonds, or walnuts. The pastry can be puff pastry or shortcrust pastry, and some recipes even feature kefir-based versions. The filling can also be made with various syrups, natural honey, or even milk.

Today we'll learn how to make classic Armenian baklava at home using puff pastry, honey, and walnuts.

We list butter in the ingredients, but you can also use margarine for the dough; the baked goods will be just as delicious. The filling can be made with or without honey (soaked in sugar syrup). It's up to you to decide whichever you prefer. When adding more honey, simply adjust the amount of sugar listed in the ingredients slightly.

Please note! This product is quite high in calories, 368 kcal per 100 grams. However, this is common to almost all Armenian sweets, especially those made with nuts and dried fruits.

Armenian baklava with honey and walnuts

Armenian Baklava – A Simple Homemade Recipe

Ingredients

Servings

Ingredients for the dough:

Egg yolk

3 pcs
Butter (chilled)

150 G
Sour cream

120 G
Flour

300 G
Baking powder

1 tsp
Vanilla sugar

10 G

Ingredients for the filling:

Walnuts

300 G
Sugar

200 G
Egg white

3 pcs
Cinnamon

1 tsp
Cardamom

as desired
Nutmeg

as desired

Additional ingredients:

Egg yolk

1 pcs
Milk

1 tbsp
Honey

4 tbsp

Preparation

Step 1

Our Armenian baklava will be made with a shortcrust pastry base, so let's start by preparing the dry mixture. In a bowl, combine 300 grams of flour, 10 grams of baking powder, and vanilla sugar, and mix until smooth.

Step 2

Next, use the dry mixture to make the crumble. To do this, grind the chilled butter or margarine into the flour. This is easiest to do using a food processor, but you can achieve a similar result by hand.

As a result, you should get fine crumbs, as in the photo.

Step 3

When the crumble is done, add 120 grams of sour cream (any fat content) and 2 egg yolks (we will need the whites to prepare the filling).

Step 4

Knead the dough first with a spatula, then simply by hand. Avoid kneading for too long, as this will make it firmer and less crumbly.

Step 5

Place the dough in a bag, roll it out into a rectangular layer and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

While the dough is cooling, the filling for baklava with nuts and aromatic spices is usually prepared.

Step 6

Grind the dried (or lightly roasted) walnuts in the oven until they form coarse crumbs. This is easiest done in a blender, but you can also do it the old-fashioned way, by rolling them with a shaker.

Step 7

Add a teaspoon of cinnamon and any other spices to taste to the nuts (usually nutmeg and cardamom are added to oriental sweets).

Step 8

Beat the meringue from 3 egg whites and 200 grams of sugar until stiff peaks form.

Step 9

At this stage, you need to prepare the form (we have 32x22 cm), lining it with parchment or silicone paper.

Step 10

Divide the chilled dough into three equal parts.

Step 11

Roll out the first part of the dough to the size of the pan, place it on parchment and cover with half of the whipped egg whites.

Step 12

Place half of the nut filling on the meringue.

Step 13

Roll out the second part of the dough, place it on top of the first filling and also cover it with meringue and nut filling.

Step 14

Roll out a third of the dough and cover it with the second layer of filling.

Step 15

Mix one egg yolk with a spoonful of milk and brush the top of the dough to create a beautiful golden brown crust when baking.

Step 16

We cut the top layer of dough, forming the characteristic diamond shapes that Armenian baklava is traditionally cut with, and lay out the nut pieces, as shown in the photo.

Step 17

All that's left to do is bake the baklava in the oven. 180 ℃The baking process takes approximately 30-35 minutes in the "top + bottom" mode (without convection), but may differ depending on the characteristics of your equipment.

Step 18

While the baklava is still hot, soak it in slightly warmed honey (or sugar syrup) and let it sit for 5-8 minutes.

Step 19

The baklava should be cut while still hot, and then allowed to cool completely naturally in the pan.

Step 20

Serve baklava cold, beautifully presented on a tray or large platter.

You can store homemade baklava for up to 2 weeks at room temperature in an airtight container.

You can also try making layered baklava. The recipe for this type of baklava is very similar to the one described above, but the preparation method is slightly different.