Best Passover Baklava Recipes

PASSOVER BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Take the matzah out of the water and cover with paper towels for 15-20 minutes or till soft enough to fold.
• Combine the first 4 ingredients with 3 tablespoons of the butter.
• Using an 8" square pan, make layers of matzah and nut mixture ending with a piece of matzah.
• Drizzle top of matzah with 2 1/2 tablespoons of melted butter.
• Bake@ 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
• When almost cool, cut into squares.
• FOR THE SYRUP: Combine all ingredients and the remaining butter (2 1/2 tablespoons) and boil for 10 minutes stirring slowly till thickened.
• When syrup is cool, drizzle over cut squares.

MATZOH BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Briefly pass each sheet of matzoh under cold running water until wet on all sides. Layer sheets between damp paper towels and let stand until somewhat pliable but not soggy or falling apart, about 2 hours.
• While matzoh is softening, make syrup
• In small saucepan over moderately high heat, stir together 1 cup water and sugar. Bring to boil, then lower heat to moderate and cook, uncovered, until syrupy and thick, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, honey, and rose water and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool, then chill until ready to use.
• Assemble dessert
• Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir together walnuts, pistachios, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cardamom. Separate out 1/6 of nut mixture and reserve for topping cooked baklava.
• Transfer 1 sheet matzoh to counter. Press rolling pin once over sheet from one end to other to flatten. Rotate 90 degrees and repeat. Transfer to 8-inch-square pan and brush with melted margarine. Sprinkle with 1/5 of unreserved nut mixture.
• Roll out second sheet of matzoh and transfer to pan. Brush with margarine and sprinkle with nut mixture. Repeat with remaining matzoh sheets and remaining nut mixture, ending with matzoh sheet brushed with margarine on top.
• Bake until golden, about 25 minutes. Transfer to rack and immediately pour chilled syrup over. Sprinkle with reserved nut mixture. Let cool, then cover and let stand at least 8 hours and up to 3 days. (Do not chill.) Cut into small squares or diamonds and serve.

PASSOVER HONEY NUT CAKE IN SOAKING SYRUP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 7-inch round layer cake pan (if you do not have one, you can use a round foil pan of the same or similar size available in the supermarket baking aisle).
• Cake:
• In a medium-sized mixing bowl, using a wire whisk, beat the granulated and brown sugars with the oil and eggs until the mixture is thick and pale yellow. Stir in the remaining batter ingredients. Turn the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is light brown and set. Cool for at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the Soaking Syrup.
• Soaking Syrup:
• In a medium saucepan, combine the ingredients. Heat to dissolve the sugar and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the mixture becomes syrupy. Cool well.
• Pour the cooled syrup over the cooled cake, poking holes in the cake with a fork, to permit the syrup to penetrate. Allow it to stand for 2 to 4 hours to absorb the syrup. I prefer to refrigerate this cake so that while it is absorbing the liquid, it is also firming up. Also, chilling the cake offsets its sweetness and makes it easier to cut. Serve it on splayed muffin liners.

PASSOVER BAKLAVA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F; spray a round cake pan with cooking spray.
• Add sugars, oil, eggs and egg whites to a large mixing bowl.
• Beat at medium until blended.
• Stir in matzoh cake meal and next 5 ingredients and beat until well blended.
• Pour into cake pan and bake for 35 minutes.
• Cool completely on a wire rack.
• Combine syrup ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Lower to simmer and cook 25 minutes until thick.
• Cool completely.
• Pierce top of cake with a fork, pour syrup on top.
• Cover and chill overnight.

EASY BAKLAVA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Toss together cinnamon and nuts. Unroll phyllo and cut whole stack in half to fit the dish. Cover phyllo with a damp cloth while assembling the baklava, to keep it from drying out.
• Place two sheets of phyllo in the bottom of the prepared dish. Brush generously with butter. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of the nut mixture on top. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used, ending with about 6 sheets of phyllo. Using a sharp knife, cut baklava (all the way through to the bottom of the dish) into four long rows, then (nine times) diagonally to make 36 diamond shapes.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden brown and crisp, about 50 minutes.
• While baklava is baking, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir in honey, vanilla and lemon or orange zest; reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
• Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately spoon the syrup over it. Let cool completely before serving. Store uncovered.