Turkish Delight-Filled Baklava Bites

Allergens

Tree nuts (walnuts)

Ingredients

• 1 package store
• bought phyllo dough sheets
• 2 cups walnuts, finely chopped
• 16 pieces of Turkish Delight, cut into small cubes
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• Zest and juice of 1 orange
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Unroll the phyllo dough sheets and cover with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out.
3. In a small saucepan, combine sugar, water, lemon zest, orange zest, lemon juice, orange juice, and cinnamon. Bring it to a boil, then reduce heat and let it simmer until the syrup thickens slightly. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Brush a 9x13 inch baking dish with some melted butter.
5. Place one sheet of phyllo dough in the bottom of the prepared pan and brush with butter. Repeat, adding 5 more sheets, brushing each with butter before layering the next.
6. Sprinkle a layer of chopped walnuts over the buttered phyllo layers. Add another layer of phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter, until you have used half of the phyllo sheets and all the walnuts.
7. Place one piece of Turkish Delight in each of the small squares formed by the phyllo layers.
8. Repeat steps 5 7 to create another layer of buttered phyllo dough on top, using the remaining phyllo sheets and covering all the Turkish Delights. Brush the top layer with butter.
9. With a sharp knife, cut the baklava into squares or diamond shapes.
10. Bake for 25 30 minutes until golden brown and crispy.
11. Remove from oven and immediately drizzle the warm syrup over the hot baklava.
12. Let it cool completely before serving.

Chef’s Insight

Make sure your phyllo dough sheets are not sticking together; separate them carefully before using.

Notes

You can use either fresh or store-bought phyllo dough for this recipe.