Valentine Baklava with Dark Chocolate, Hazelnuts and Dried Cherries
Makes 32 to 40 pieces
Rose Syrup:
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup water
½ cup honey
¼ tsp fine sea salt
1 Tbsp rose water
Filling:
2 cups toasted hazelnuts, finely chopped
3/4 cup mini morsels of dark chocolate
3/4 cup dried cherries, soaked overnight, drained and finely chopped
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp fine sea salt
Pastry and Butter:
12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter
1 lb. frozen phyllo, thawed
1) For the syrup: combine ingredients in a saucepan (except the rose water) and bring to a full boil over medium heat until the sugar is fully dissolved. Transfer the syrup to a glass measuring cup, stir in the rose water, and set aside to cool.
2) For the nut filling: pulse the hazelnuts in a food processor until finely chopped (do not over chop into a paste!) Transfer the nuts to a medium bowl and stir in the chocolate and finely chopped cherries, the cinnamon, sugar and salt. Set aside 1-2 Tbsp of the mixture for finishing garnish.
3) Melt the butter in a saucepan. Set aside to cool for ten minutes. Skim off the foam from the surface and then spoon out the clarified butter leaving the mix solids in the saucepan.
4) Brush a 13x9 pan (not non-stick – the cutting of the baklava might harm the surface) with some of the clarified butter.
5) Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
6) Open the package of phyllo and smooth the sheets. Cut the edges of the stack of phyllo to match the size of your pan (9x13). Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap and then a damp towel (for weight). Lift the covering to remove each sheet.
7) Layer eight sheets of phyllo in the pan – brushing each with the clarified butter as you stack the layers. Distribute about 1 cup of the filling over the eight sheets of phyllo. Cover with a sheet of phyllo – dabbing the butter so the sheet won’t tear. Layer with five more sheets of phyllo, one cup of the filling, six sheets of phyllo, remaining filling and finally eight sheets of phyllo.
8) After placing the final sheet of phyllo, use the palms of your hands to compress the layers removing any air pockets. Brush the top sheet with clarified butter and then using a serrated knife, cut the baklava into diamonds.
9) Bake the baklava for 90 minutes, rotating the pan halfway, until golden and crisp. Immediately after removing the pan from the oven, pour the syrup into the cut lines of the diamonds. Gently drizzle 2-3 Tbsp of the syrup over the top layer and garnish with the reserved filling. Cool to room temperature for three hours on a wire rack before serving. If you can wait, cover the pan with foil and let sit eight hours before serving.
