FESTIVE SEASON 2013-2014: Baklavas with hazelnuts garnished with dried figs boiled in a red wine syrup - A modern twist to the traditional dessert

I hope that all you had a wonderful Christmas day yesterday with your beloved ones and that you still have some space left for one more dessert.... Baklavas in Greece is very popular all year round but in various areas around the country it is considered as the main dessert during the Festive season. The recipe can differ from region to region but the principal idea remains the same. The today's version has a rather modern twist to the classic with the hazelnuts as the main ingredient of the filling instead of the customary walnuts or almonds. Then the syrup is infused with the less sharp flavour of a lime instead of lemon. And for the end the dessert is served garnished with dried figs nicely cooked in a red wine syrup.... Well, no need for any dinner at all!:-)) Joking aside, my opinion is that this Baklavas is very tasty and quite filling but for somebody like me, who is more of a savoury dishes fan, one piece is enough to keep them for days without craving any more sweets. You will also notice that classic spices we usually put in the filling mixed with the nuts are missed in this version. No cloves and cinnamon are involved and that had me intrigued the first time I saw the recipe. So, when I first made it I followed it to the letter because I was so curious... I thought it was very fine but still as if something was missing ... The second time I had it my way but then I wondered if the hazelnuts do really go with cloves and cinnamon, at least in sweets of this kind.... I'm not sure really and I think that I will probably stick to the original recipe after all. And, quoting my husband when he often teases me, "I used to be indecisive but now I'm not so sure"....:-))))

Recipe of Vassilis Tsagaris & Elias Balaskas

from the Greek food magazine "Umami"

Ingredients (for 6-8 people)

For the baklava:

500 gr. of thin phyllo pastry

400 gr. of good quality butter

500 gr. of blanched hazelnuts, finely chopped

For the syrup:
700 ml of water

1 Kg of granulated sugar

the peel of half a large lime

1 cinnamon stick

For the garnish:

300 gr. of dried figs, cut in half

400 ml of red wine

100 gr. of granulated sugar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160°C.

Melt the butter on medium heat and brush the bottom and the sides of a medium oven pan with some of it.

Lay the first three phyllo sheets in the pan, after you have brushed each one of them with some of the butter. Sprinkle with some of the chopped hazelnuts and cover with 1 phyllo sheet brushed with butter.

Sprinkle with some more hazelnuts and continue in the same way until all the ingredients are used up. ***You should finish with three phyllo sheets on top, each brushed with butter but without any nuts between them (as with the three first sheets at the bottom).

Using a sharp knife gently score the surface of the top phyllo sheets into diamond (or square) shape pieces without cutting through.

Put in the oven and bake for 1 hour (if the baklava gets coloured too soon then cover with a piece of aluminium foil).

In the mean time, prepare the syrup. Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and boil in medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon. When the syrup starts bubbling boil for 2-3 minutes and then switch off the heat.

Take the baklava out of the oven and while it is still hot pour over with the warm syrup (discard the lime peel and the cinnamon stick) making sure it goes every where in the pan and through where it is scored. *** It is always preferable to leave the baklava all night so to absorb the syrup properly and then to serve.

For the garnish, put the figs and the red wine in a saucepan on medium heat. When they start boiling add the sugar in the saucepan and allow to boil for about another 2-3 minutes making sure that the sugar is completely dissolved..

Serve the Baklava garnishing on top with the dried figs drained of their syrup.