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I would love it if somebody had a good recipe for some baklava. I've had several different recipes, which are good, but nothing that has compared to what my dad use to make. He can't find the recipe anymore, so I am asking if anyone has a recipe to post it (Perhap under ethnic foods if Uni has that up).

Thanks

Nutty Banana Baklava
Makes about 5 dozen pieces.

Skill Level 3
Ease Level 2
Prep Time 90 minutes Baking time 60 minutes

1 (1lb) pkg frozen phyllo dough
3 ripe bananas, sliced
1/2 c. plus 3 tbsp. sugar, divided
1 c. (2 sticks) plus 3 tbsp. butter, divided
About 1 lb. (about 4 c.) nuts (see note), coarsely chopped
2 tsp. cinnamon Syrup:
2 c. honey
1 c. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 c. water
1 tsp. vanilla

Note: Baklava is traditionally made with walnuts, but any nuts work well, so use your favorites. Macadamias are very tasty, but very expensive, so you might mix them with hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts -- or whatever you like. You'll need a pastry brush (or a small brand-new paint brush) and a jelly-roll pan (a cookie sheet with raised edges). The frozen phyllo sheets require a 12-hour thaw. And clear off lots of counter space before you start, because you will be working with the large pan and a separate stack of phyllo sheets. Thaw the phyllo sheets according to package directions (typically 12 hours or more in the refrigerator and a few minutes at room temperature). Prepare the caramelized bananas: Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat in a frying pan. Add the sliced bananas and 3 tablespoons of the sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until almost all the liquid is absorbed and the mixture has browned a little. Set aside. Toast the nuts in a large, heavy frying pan over low-medium heat, stirring frequently, until they begin to color and become fragrant, about 7 minutes. Pour out of the pan into a medium bowl and set aside. Combine the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and the cinnamon with the nuts. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush an 11-by 17-inch or 10-by 15-inch raised-edge baking pan with melted butter. Just barely dampen a large, clean dishtowel, which will be used to cover the phyllo sheets. Remove the phyllo from the refrigerator, unroll it and trim the stack of sheets to the size of the prepared pan. Immediately cover the stack of phyllo with the damp cloth, and whenever you uncover it to remove a sheet, always cover the stack again immediately. (Phyllo dries out remarkably quickly.) Lay one sheet of phyllo into the pan (don't worry about any tears or imperfections in any of the sheets as you put them in place), and brush it with melted butter. Top with another phyllo sheet (don't try to move the phyllo once it's down), and brush with more butter. Continue until you have built up six sheets. As you build experience, probably you will figure out ways of doing it that result in the fewest rips and the best alignment of the new sheet to the rest of the stack. After the sixth sheet is brushed with butter, spread it fairly evenly with the banana mixture. (If the mixture is too thick to spread easily, thin it with a little melted butter.) Top with two more sheets of phyllo, brushing each with butter, then sprinkle the top sheet evenly with a generous 1/2 cup of the nut mixture. Continue until almost all the sheets of phyllo are used, brushing each sheet with butter and topping every second sheet with the nut mixture. The last two or three sheets (depending on how it works out) should not have nut mixture (just butter) between them. Brush the top sheet with butter. With a sharp knife, cut the baklava into diamond shapes -- yes, before it's baked: Make a series of cuts about an inch apart all along the length of the pan, then make a series of diagonal cuts (across the pan) about 2 inches apart. Smooth out the pieces of the top layer that lifted while you were cutting. Pour any extra butter over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, then lower the temperature to 300 degrees and bake one hour more. About 30 minutes before the baklava is to be done, prepare the syrup: In a large saucepan, stir together the honey, orange juice and water. Cook over high heat, without further stirring, until the mixture boils, lower the heat and boil it 15 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and allow the syrup to cool briefly if it is done before the baklava is. Spoon about two-thirds of the syrup over the hot baklava, allowing it to soak in. An hour later, spoon on the rest of it. Allow the baklava to rest several hours before serving. Store covered in the refrigerator, but allow to come to room temperature before serving.

World's Easiest Baklavah

Skill Level 3
Ease Level 2
Prep Time 90 minute Baking Time 30 minutes

1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup chopped walnuts
(as far as the nuts go, you can use whatever you like. Pecans, Macadamia, pistachios, whatever 3 different nuts you like. These are my favorites)
1 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/2 cup sugar
(I swear, this is plenty of sugar. You are using it to bind the filling, not as a sweetener)
2 Tbs Cinnamon
2 Tbs Vanilla extract
Vegetable Oil or butter
(If you are being health conscious, use the veggie oil)
2 packages Phylo Dough
(you can find this in the freezer section of any grocery or any Greek grocery)
Good Maple Syrup

In a 9x9 baking pan, brush bottom and sides with oil or butter and then lay 1 sheet of Phyllo down. (The Phyllo will come in sheets that are 9x18 so just take a sharp knife and slice in half.) Now brush that sheet and lay another down. Do this until you have 16 layered sheets. Now in a bowl, mix together all the nuts, the sugar, the cinnamon and the vanilla extract. Make sure it's good and tossed. Now take a 1/2 cup of the nut mix and spread it evenly on the phyllo. Now start the Phyllo layers again. I find it alot easier to do the following phyllo layers on the flat counter. It will get messy, but messes will clean up. To get the 16 layers off the counter, just slide a knife underneath it and carefully lift into place. Then add another 1/2 cup layer of nut mix and then phyllo again. Keep doing the layers until you run out of space and make sure to end on the phyllo layer. Take your very sharp knife and cut into inch pieces BEFORE you put it in the oven. If you try to cut it up after, you will crumble the phyllo. Pop it into a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes or until the top layer of phyllo starts to brown. Take it out and let it cool for about 15 minutes. Then take your good maple syrup and pour it all over the top. All along the cuts because you want all the syrup to soak in. Let it cool completely and then serve or put in tins or pop in your mouth. There is a way to do this as a special occasion dessert. You do NOT cut the Phyllo in half. You make it ON wax paper instead of in a baking pan. You butter up 25 sheets of Phyllo instead of 16. You spread 2 cups of filling evenly and then using the wax paper to help you roll into a long tube. Then spiral it. Bake it accordingly and then serve the maple syrup on the side. One Baklavah roll will feed 3 people and I usually make 2-3 rolls for a party of 8. I've also made this without the sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Instead, I added 3 cups mini chocolate morsels (they melt better than the regular sized ones) to the nuts and instead of maple syrup, I served it with home made Vanilla whipped cream.

This recipe is so old, it isn't written down anywhere.
Baklava

Skill Level 3
Ease Level 2
Prep Time 90 minutes Bake time 60 minutes

1 1/2 cups sugar
3 cups water
half lemon
two cinnamon sticks
1 cup honey
Boil sugar, water, lemon and cinnamon sticks together for 8 minutes. Add honey, cool.
Clarify one pound of butter.

1 pound walnuts, 1/2 pound pecans - grind together. I have moved this to the modern age by using a food processer instead of an old fashioned grinder. Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Layer 5 sheets of phyllo dough, buttering each sheet, add 1/3 nut mixture, five more sheets of buttered phyllo, 1/3 nuts, five more buttered phyllo sheets, remainder of nut mixture, top with remaining sheets of phyllo, buttering each sheet but not the top sheet. Cut into diamond shapes, then pour remaining butter over all. Bake for 35 to 60 minutes in 325° oven, until golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately pour honey syrup over all. Let stand until it is absorbed. Serve at room temperature

BAKLAVA

Skill Level 2
Ease Level 2
Prep Time 60 minute Bake Time 60 minutes

1 lb. phyllo (filo) dough
6 cups chopped walnuts
1 lb. unsalted butter, melted
¼ tsp. cinnamon, mixed into the nuts

Butter the bottom of a deep pan and layer filo and melted butter alternately six times. Then alternate filo, butter, filo, nuts. Save last five filo sheets for the top. Cut into pieces. Bake at 350° for one hour.

Syrup:
4½ cups sugar
2¼ cups water
1 cinnamon stick
3 Tbsp. lemon juice

Combine and boil until syrup stars to thicken. Cool completely. Pour the cool syrup over hot baklava immediately after removing it from the oven. Let stand overnight.

Hawaiian - Style Baklava
Yield: 36 servings

Skill Level 3
Ease Level 2
Prep Time 90 minute Baking time 45 minutes

16 oz Phyllo package
1 c Pecans; chopped
1 3 1/2 oz. Jar Macadamia nuts/coarsely -chopped
1 c Coconut (lightly toasted if desired)
1/4 c Brown sugar
1 tsp Ground cinnamon
1 c Butter - clarified
3/4 c Sugar
3/4 c Water
2 tbs Honey
1 tsp Lemon juice

Let phyllo thaw in refrigerator. Cut sheets in half crosswise, cover with damp towel. Butter bottom of 13x9x2-inch pan. Combine nuts, coconut, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Layer 15 half - sheets of phyllo in pan, brushing each sheet with butter. Sprinkle half of nut mixture atop phyllo. Repeat with another 15 phyllo sheets, nut mixture and butter. Top with remaining phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter. Score the top into 1 1/2 inch diamonds. Bake in 350 degree oven 40 to 45 minutes. Combine sugar, water, and honey. Boil gently, uncovered, 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Pour syrup over pastry. Cut into diamonds. Cool.

i'd love a recipe for some white gravy sauce.