Coarsely grind or chop the walnuts so you have a chunky rubble, then stir in the ground almonds and slivered pistachios, followed by the zest, salt (if using), cardamom and 5tbsp of melted butter. "Don't let it boil for more than a minute.". Walnuts, pine nuts and almonds are high in unsaturated fat (which can help to control cholesterol) and are a great source of vitamin E, copper, magnesium and folic acid. Today, baklava is made with paper-thin sheets of phyllo. Its a Mediterranean dessert known to go as far back as the 8th century B.C. The dessert goes back to the Assyrian Empire 1,300 years ago with the first version of the baklava: unleavened bread topped with local nuts and drenched in honey. This easier option is just as tasty, but simpler when youre in a hurry. Preheat oven to 350 F. Make the syrup: Prepare the simple syrup first and let it cool. This is one of the best ways as I think it is an art to make a baklava that is crispy and wet. Its important to start on the syrup as soon as youplace the baklava into the oven so it has enough time to cool. Pourwater, juices and sugar into a saucepan and place over medium heat. On the Greek island of Crete, an ancient recipe called gastrin is quite similar to the baklava of modern times. Whether you're cooking for yourself or for a family, these easy dinners are sure to leave everyone satisfied and stress-free. The choice of nuts is down to personal taste (and budget pistachios are still far more expensive than any of the other nuts). Is this normal?! He started selling baklava when he was 12 years old. Theres also Bitchin Baklava in the outer Richmond, which is currently supplying its crunchy sweets to the de Young Museum during the run of the Ramses the Great exhibition. "It's not an arts and crafts project, it's food!" In the meantime, bring all the syrup ingredients to a boil in a saucepan, then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes. Cut the baklava to your desired serving size. Hearing about my investigation, one colleague told me she had seen a sign for what looked like a baklava popup on Harrison Street while biking to work. You don't need much, just a thin layer will do. have a baklava problem. One Baklava to Rule Them All When the Ottoman Empire came to power in the 14th century the history of baklava would be changed forever. And factory farming is largely to blame The increased cost of eggs has been in the news, but the cause . The pastries should be drenched in the stuff (although Roden allows that if you do not want the pastry too sweet, reduce the amount of syrup by up to half). Every city has its convenience store charms. 55+ Easy Dinner Recipes for Busy Weeknights. I brought some of my dad's baklava on a road trip with friends seven years ago, and to this day they still talk about it. As it happens, despite food writer Rebecca Seals warning that baklava is notoriously tricky to make, I found it surprisingly easy. Baklava is a beautiful pastry with light, flaky layers of crust and a sweet filling, drenched in a light syrup. Lift it out of the pan using the foil or parchment lining. amzn_assoc_placement="adunit0"; We lay the phyllo in layers of two. Then mix the syrup as you wait for the first boil. His baklava recipe is less than 70 words, and basically translates to: "We add breadcrumbs and a bit of sugar in the mix. Additional troubleshooting information here. Prep: Preheat the oven to 325F. Select StateAlaskaAlabamaArkansasArizonaCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDistrict of ColumbiaDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIowaIdahoIllinoisIndianaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMassachusettsMarylandMaineMichiganMinnesotaMissouriMississippiMontanaNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaNebraskaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNevadaNew YorkOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaPuerto RicoRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVirginiaVermontWashingtonWisconsinWest VirginiaWyoming. Use a sharp knife to cut the baklava into small triangles or squares before baking. Like other phyllo-based pastries, baklava is made by brushing the thin, papery sheets with butter and layering them with nuts, sugars, and spices. The most common cause is that your DNS settings are incorrect. Flaky layers of Phllyo dough packed with nuts and the signature syrup drenching every morsel. The San Francisco Standard. Cookie Notice Spanakopita: Greek Spinach Pie With Feta Cheese, Quick Cheese Pie With Puff Pastry Greek Recipe, Tomato Tart With Fillo and Feta Cream Recipe, The 14 Best Mediterranean Cookbooks of 2023, Bastani Sonati (Saffron and Rose Water Ice Cream) Recipe, Kreatopita (Meat Pie With Phyllo Crust) Recipe. Its not to my taste, Karabulut said diplomatically. About this item . Butcher also adds rose or orange-blossom water, but I think this is more easily mixed in with the syrup. Its due to many reasons. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Make the Honey Syrup. It should sizzle as your pour. Walnuts and pistachios is a very popular combination. It probably helped that theyre one of my favorite desserts and that I live in the Richmond District, home to Little Russia and countless Middle Eastern-influenced eateries. I can rectify this, however, by adding some to the filling. Why is baklava expensive? If frozen, it can retain its freshness for up to 120 days. Top with the rest of the filo, again brushing each sheet with butter before adding the next, and being particularly generous with the top. Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. A resident of Greece, Nancy Gaifyllia is a cook who writes about the country's regional specialties. Since phyllo dough usually comes in 14 x 18 sheets, usea knife to cut sheets in half and trim themfit a 9 x 13 pan. Though the dessert is most often associated with Greek restaurants and delis, its exact origins cant be pinpointed to one particular country. In some areas, we don't brush - we pour. If you want, you can always make more mix. My Greek grandfather was a phyllo maker, and his baklava has been in my family for generations. Just cut the baklava into squares first, then slice across them diagonally. "As Paul Hollywood would say, you need good lamination," my dad told me sagely as he watched to make sure the butter didn't burn. Make sure to line your baking pan with parchment paper or foil before constructing the dessert. Enjoy baklava in a place where its not only one more dessert but also a part of the culture, the people and their history. After cutting, you should have about forty 9 x 13 sheets. ", "But you don't want areas where there's no filling," he added. After cutting, you should have about 40 sheets. If I make the baklava (before syrup) and refrigerate over night before baking will it be soggy? Transfer the baking dish to the oven and bake for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the top layers of the baklava are golden brown and crispy. All Rights Reserved. We may never know exactly where or how baklava became a thing, but we do know that the delicious dessert remains popular all over the world. "If you don't cut it, the baklava will not cook," my dad told me. No problem. I like the slight bitterness of the walnuts as a base, mixed with sweet ground almonds and a few pricey pistachios, both for their lovely flavour and the crunch they bring. These recipes sound great. Take off the heat and allow to cool slightly, then stir in the orange-blossom water to taste (brands vary greatly in strength, so add a little at a time). Bake for 1 hour. Spread 1 cup of nut mixture over the stack. amzn_assoc_marketplace="amazon"; Finely chop nuts, such as pistachios and walnuts, with a knife or in a food processor. He said, of course. It was also from Diamond. (Note: We now do vegan Baklavas! Nuts are the one constant, credited in the Oxford Companion to Food to the Persian influence on the regimes kitchen. and our Many recipes caution that, since the sweet Middle Eastern pastry is very rich and sweet, in the words of the great Claudia Roden, portions should be very small. amzn_assoc_linkid="41cefbfa0c375d3317770f3ba0542848"; A Turkish immigrant with a Greek mother and Macedonian father, Karabulut arrived in the United States in 2009 and found zero good baklava, much to his dismay. Hes got a little mini empire, Lee said of Diamonds owner. Please contact your hosting provider to confirm your origin IP and then make sure the correct IP is listed for your A record in your Cloudflare DNS Settings page. Most recipes call for a few ingredients, and when baking is included, it should take no longer than three hours to finish. Its baked and then drenched in a honey syrup. Roden adds melted butter and sugar to her nuts, and Seal, Butcher and Ghayour mix in sugar (Der Haroutunian leaves them au naturel). Avian or bird flu hit huge numbers of American . Our family ate at a new Greek restaurant tonight. My dad makes baklava every Christmas, and he recently showed me how it's done. For instance, this 28 to 30 piece baklava retails for $18 to $20, plus $7 to ship. Spread another cup of nut mixture over the top. Consumer goods companies have been steadily hiking prices as their own. Alternatively, you can use a knife to chop the walnuts to bits. Modern baklava may have been invented in Turkey during the Ottoman Empire, then modified in Greece. The simplest syrup comes from Butcher, who, although she also gives a more conventional recipe, informs me that originally these pastries would have been made with honey or date syrup, and supplies a version that uses these, melted in water. To Nazila, the answer to my burning questions about the absolute chokehold baklava has on the neighborhood was simple: My mom used to make it. Set the saucepan aside and let the syrup cool down completely. Plan on budgeting about $1 per piece. Generally, you will want to check the refrigerated section of your grocery store to find it. Made with flour, water and oil or butter, crafting filo dough is time-consuming and labor-intensive. This delicious pastry is made in every corner of every region in Greece. Pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes to make it easier to cut. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and let simmer for about 25 minutes. The answer is actually simpler (and closer to home) than you think. Then let cool for at least 15 minutes. Gastrin was made with nuts, seeds, and pepper layered between thin sheets of dough. The most common cause is that your DNS settings are incorrect. Before they pastry and nuts are baked, the baklava is cut into pieces, usually following the same parallelogram pattern that makes the dish so instantly recognisable. Almost all of the many cultures who had developed and perfected their own versions of baklava were swallowed up within Ottoman borders, which effectively meant that the making of baklava was consolidated. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. It was a food of occasion, so much so that even today there's a common saying in Turkey: "I am not rich enough to eat baklava every day." (Boxes of baklava regularly feature as carry-on . Simmer for 15 more minutes. Scholars believe that this magical moment in human history took place around the 8th Century BC, with the first baklavas made in rather rustic conditions and baked in wood-fired ovens. Der Haroutunian adds nothing to his walnut filling, but this seems a wasted opportunity when so many gorgeous Middle Eastern flavours pair so perfectly with nuts. Then, using a sharp knife, cut the phyllo to almost match the size of the pan. Like other phyllo-based pastries, baklava is made by brushing the thin, papery sheets with butter and layering them with nuts, sugars, and spices. While everyone from the Greeks to the Turks to the Armenians claim to have been the first to make baklava, it appears that credit must go to the Assyrians of Mesopotamia (a region comprising modern-day Iraq, Syria, Iran and Turkey). Under the direction of Aldo Gucci (son of Guccio), Gucci became a worldwide-known. I noticed the flaky pastries front and center at local check-out counters immediately after moving to the city. amzn_assoc_region="US"; The dough can be layered on the bottom and top only, or - with a few sheets on the bottom and top - phyllo is alternated with the filling to form multiple layers. Prepare the phyllo sheets: Unfold the phyllo sheets onto a large cutting board. Some regional recipes call for jasmine extract, and others will taint the upper layer with the rare and expensive saffron. You can let your pan sit out in the kitchen for days (if it's not eaten before then!). Get exclusive premium content! In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water, honey, lemon juice, salt, cinnamon stick (if using), and orange rind (if using). Baklava is usually made in a large pan. MyRecipes.com is part of the Allrecipes Food Group. Step 3: Make the Syrup. Refrigerate the uncooked baklava for an hour or two until the butter solidifies. Its rose soft after adding the sugar syrup And when Roden says that, you know shes right. We make the best Lebanese desserts in Sydney and our baklava is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Let it sit for several hours for all the flavors to meld together. Then, wrap the entire dessert in at least four layers of plastic wrap. After looking at the menu, I opted to grab a piece of her chocolate baklava (she also makes chocolate raspberry baklava, which FYI is on another level), two Greek cannolis, and a piece of spanakopita. Asking around isnt helpful either as many Middle Eastern countries, including modern Turkey and Greece, claim the dessert as their own. This can depend on the bakerys reputation and geographical location. Any time at all! Customer Reviews: 205 ratings. (Note 3) Bake for 1 hour - 1 hr 15 minutes until golden brown. Baklava is a type of dessert made with Phyllo dough, butter, nuts, and sugar. Repeat twice more and finish with a layer of 10 pyllo sheets. Layers and Layers On the Greek island of Crete, an ancient recipe called gastrin is quite similar to the baklava of modern times. You can get our top-rated baklava recipe here (seriously, this is one of our test kitchens favorite creations), but heres the Cliffs Notes version: What Is Baklava and Where Does It Come From? Heres what you need to know about the sweet treat: Baklava is a traditional pastry dessert that is known for its sweet, rich flavor and flaky texture. Repeat with all 10 sheets. Dont get me wrong; Im not saying all these countries are fibbing, theyre all entitled in a way because baklava predates modern frontiers. Its important to brush every layer with melted butter and make sure you trim the edges, rather than folding them in, so you dont end up with wodges of dry filo around the sides. Obviously, their people have taken the dessert with them around the world. Ive seen baklava donuts, baklava pancakes, baklava macarons, baklava cheesecake and baklava cinnamon rolls just to name a few! And since my dad recently taught me how to make his famous pastitio and our family's "celebration cake," it was only natural that baklava would be next on the list. Cut the chilled baklava in a diamond-shaped pattern and bake according to the recipe. I like to pour the syrup in a really wide bowl and place it in the fridge to speed up the cooling process. Theres nothing else quite like baklava, an old world, layered dessert with simple ingredients. Make sure your ghee is melted as well. Do not stir. Sabrina Ghayour uses a mixture of ground almonds and slivered pistachios in Persiana, and Sally Butcher (who wins my trust in Snackistan by admitting that baklava is kind of addictive Quite a lot of self-confessed diabetics come into the shop to buy it, assuring us that they will just fiddle with their meds to compensate) suggests ground almonds, but mentions that one could also use cashews, walnuts or pistachios. Assemble the baklava: Please check the step by step instruction on how to layer the pastry and nuts below. The history behind baklava is unclear since people have enjoyed nuts and honeyfor millennia; theyre humanitys first treats along with fruit. And if you have extra phyllo, you can use it to make tiropitakia (cheese pies) or spanakopita (spinach pies) and really turn this into a Greek feast. Using a food processor, pulse walnuts about a dozen times to process nuts to desired size. The phone rang for almost a minute before the line to Diamond Bakerys Fremont factory location disconnected. Cut the baklava into 4 long strips, then cut on the diagonal to make diamonds. It should sizzle as your pour. Purchasing online can often incur additional shipping costs. Pay close attention to the nuts and syrup ingredients being used as this can tell you the origination of the recipe. "But they found that the breadcrumbs actually really help with absorption.". (adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({}); Advertising Disclosure: This content may include referral links. Ive also included two authentic baklava recipes for you to try: a fancy and more involved recipe as well as a simple, straightforward one. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Perhaps too easy. The main cause of rising egg prices, though, is actually a different deadly epidemic. Your IP: Baklava's ingredients are neither expensive nor rare; honey has always been readily available, and so have walnuts and almonds, so why was baklava so highly regarded? He opened Baklavastory in the Mission District just three months ago, and now has partnerships with four restaurants in the city. Ive never had Greek cuisine before, but I think it would have tasted better warm. Questions, comments or concerns about this article may be sent to [emailprotected]. Repeat until nut mixture is completely used up. A more sophisticated version of the baklava was developed centuries later in the Ottoman Empire during the 15th century. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Heat the oven to 160C/315F/gas mark 2.5. Pour water in with the juices until you have cup of liquid. Until that time, Ill stick with butter. Make the Baklava: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Yildiz agreed, pointing to one controversial brand in particular. It's also important to note that your baklava needs to cool completely before adding the syrup. | Camille Cohen/The Standard, By clicking Subscribe you confirm you have read and agree to our. Process with sugar, cinnamon, and other spices until the mixture is fully combined. Above all, the craftsmanship needed to make baklava is its most valued asset. This was the most common, and likely the most scientific, explanation I would receive. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of sugar onto the dough. But in the meantime, I was getting a slice at Lavash with its owners Nazila and Saeed Talai, who welcomed me in for tea and waited patiently for my first bite of dessert before diving into the details. I dont know if you still need the info but there are lots of brands that offer gluten free phyllo dough (and also puff pastry) on the market these days. Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No. The Greeks are even credited with making a major improvement to this popular treat by mastering the art of rolling the dough extremely thin. Baklava is made out of sugar (erbet), yufka (sort of a flat layered dough) and antep fst (pistachio). Bake the baklava for 50 minutes, until golden on the edges and tops. "Raw baklava is not good. Continue in this way with five more sheets of filo. If youre freezing the baklava before baking it, dont forget to line your pan with foil or parchment before buttering. Their greed destroyed the . Baklava has a really lengthy shelf life, lasting about 2+ weeks. Few could argue with baklavas claim to be the most delicious and influential dessert of all, so when is the best time for baklava you ask? "And put a bit more of the mix around the middle of your phyllo. My dad told me that my pappou started giving people the fliers which also include recipes for Greek treats like trigona and galaktoboureko because they were constantly asking how he made them. Impossible-to-resist baklava is one of our favorite desserts of all time. Franco Salzillo is a food and wine writer and certified sommelier hungry to share delicious knowledge about all kinds of tasty topics. The second time I called, someone picked up but then hung up after a few seconds of silence. Homemade and commercial baklava are fundamentally different products, he said. Just make sure the breadcrumbs are plain no Italian seasoning! Do not stir. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Run a knife along the lines to loosen them before attempting to lever the pieces out of the tin. Jasmine Baklava of Gilan is made by soaking almonds in jasmine flowers. By the end of 2022, eggs cost an average of 60% more than the year prior, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This delicious pastry is made in every corner of every region in Greece. amzn_assoc_rows="1"; Baklava can be found in many Greek and Middle Eastern restaurants and bakeries. It comes as no surprise that only affluent people could afford expert bakers to satisfy their cravings for baklava. Additional troubleshooting information here. Please read our disclosure policy for more info. The tide could be turning on consumers' willingness to pay higher prices, Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey warned Thursday. Lavashs is baked with signature Persian flavors of rosewater and saffron. In Greece, creamery butter was historically scarce and much more expensive than the ever-present olive oil, putting it out of reach for much of the populace. Trim a phyllo sheet to fit on the bottom of a lightly greased baking sheet. Authentic Baklava Recipe from a Greek Green Diva, Middle Eastern Nut-filled Multilayered Pastry. I like the flavour of honey, but here I find it a little strong. Yes! My heart fluttered a little bit at the idea of finally getting to interview the Bay Areas baklava baron. Spread another cup of nut mixture over the top. Greek cuisine may be one of the first things you think about when you hear the words Mediterranean Diet. Count out 10 sheets, Place one sheet into the pan then brush butter over the top. I paid 1.50 per piece at my local bakery. The others add lemon juice to conventional white sugar, which contributes a welcome tanginess, with Roden and Der Haroutunian stirring in orange-blossom water and rose water respectively. Baklava is topped with a sweet honey-based syrup that is allowed to soak into the stacked layers. Check your DNS Settings. Once youve assembled all your layers, brush the top with butter. When you take your baklava out of the oven, you could be forgiven for being disappointed by the dry and crackly wasteland youve produced which is where the syrup comes in. Pour one-third of the nut mixture over the top layer of phyllo. Let it sit for several hours for all the flavors to meld together. Add honey and simmer another 5 minutes. Now that seemed promising. The cake was a reference to Xinjiang's famed nut cake, sometimes known by its old Turkic name baklava, a popular pastry across Central Asia and the Middle East. Using a food processor, pulse nuts about a dozen times to process nuts to desired size. In Evros, at the most northeastern point in Greece, many still make baklava according to their tradition: the Baklava is constructed without brushing the phyllo, and hot olive oil is poured over the entire pastry before baking. Today theres no one baklava, but many. What I discovered was San Franciscos newest baklava chefand an entrepreneur taking the baklava scene by storm. Remove from the oven and immediately drizzle all of the cooled syrup over the baklava. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Some regional recipes call for jasmine extract, and others will taint the upper layer with the rare and expensive saffron. Find a tin about 30x25cm and brush well with melted butter. Medical and other living expenses for the birth mother may be part of the cost to an adoptive parent. Unless youre a pastry demon with the patience of a saint, Id recommend using ready-made filo. November 21, 2016 By Kris Galicia Brown & filed under Baking Blog, Food & Cooking Blog. Perhaps too easy. But because you can find different varieties of nuts depending on your location, the nut mixture in baklava recipes differ. Filo dough is not baklava's only exclusive ingredient. (No one has claimed this is a diet dessert!) The sultan of sweets or a sugar bomb not worth the risk of diabetes? Baklava is a pretty expensive desert in Turkey. Repeat the phyllo stacking and buttering process with 5 sheets. I have sons; they are from Yemen and they said, Even you cannot feed cows with this baklava in Yemen, Yildiz said. Evenly Spread hashweh (filling) on top. Melt the butter. Once the baklava is done, remove it from the oven and ladle the syrup over it right away. The second recipe is a moresimple traditional baklava recipe its still delicious and calls for feweringredients. Lay the filo out on a clear work surface near the tin, with the melted butter-and-nut mixture within easy reach. My dad recommends using a ladle for this step, and says it's important you make sure to pour the syrup evenly over the baklava. Since the distinct baklava flavor comes from thecrushed nuts and honey syrup, unique versions are limitless. MyRecipes is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. To thaw, remove the plastic wrap, place the baklava back inthe pan, and cover the pan with foil. Remove the citrus peels and cinnamon stick, and pour the hot syrup evenly over the baklava. Apple limits the supply of AirPods to maintain their exclusivity and prestige. If you like your baklavachewy and a bit harder, store itin the refrigerator. Modern baklava is always made with paper-thin filo except when its made by me, influenced by a throwaway comment made by Der Haroutunian: If you wish to be more authentic, use homemade baklava filo, which I take as a direct challenge. Walnuts are popular, especially in more northern climes, with almonds and pistachios appearing further south and east Roden notes, in her Book of Jewish Food, that the pistachio filling was considered the grandest. Step 3 Brush the baking tray with a light coating of vegetable ghee. New Yorks bodegas serve below-par bagels. Which European country will inspire your culinary journey tonight? As it happens, despite food writer Rebecca Seals warning that baklava is notoriously tricky to make, I found it surprisingly easy. My pappou passed when I was 4 years old, but I've been able to keep a connection with his spirit through the baklava that my dad has made every Christmas. The hybrid bike space and coffeehouse is closing, but hopes to pass the torch onto a new leader. Brush with melted butter. Repeat this process several more times, lightly brushing with butter between layers. Baklava has a unique moistness to it, so youll know its nearing the end of its shelf life when it starts to dry out. Baklava can be frozen before baking or after its baked and cooled. His competitors have come and gone, Mougharbel said, but he attributes Diamonds ongoing success to the consistent quality of the baklava and also to his customer service: Mougharbel said he gets calls all the time from customers who have something to saygood or badabout a batch. For an easy supper that you can depend on, we picked out some of our tried-and-true favorites that have gotten us through even the busiest of days. But he didn't start making the dessert himself until he moved to the US, wanting to continue the tradition while more than 6,000 miles away from his entire family. Its not hard to make baklava, but it can be time consuming. While your baklava is chilling, combine honey, lemon juice, sugar, and water in a saucepan. Most recipes add the syrup as soon as or shortly after the pastries come out of the oven, so it can be absorbed as they cool, but Roden shares a highly unorthodox secret trick of her aunt Latifas she returns the syrupy baklava to the oven for five minutes, explaining that the pastry made this way is among the best I have eaten. thebaklavaguy.com notes the Americanized version is often sweeter than in other parts of the world. In just a few simple lessons, youll learn how to breathe new life and creativity into your standby desserts. I wanted to know about the citys underground baklava sceneand to find out who is supplying local corner stores with the sweet pastries. Spoon the nut mixture over the top evenly, but without pressing it down too firmly. "He's got a little mini empire," Lee said of Diamond's owner. Item Weight : 3 Pounds. The market is big enough for both of us, Mougharbel said. 1 yr. ago. If purchasing online, its best to see what other purchasers said. Ed Lee, the new owner, took over the shop three years ago from a Palestinian, learning how to makeand appreciatethe spiced coffee. Repeat the phyllo stacking and buttering process with five more sheets. Let the baklava cool completely at room temperature for 4-6 hours without being covered so the baked pastry can soak up all of the syrup. amzn_assoc_ad_mode="search"; Also from Turkey are his flour and wheat starch, used to make the 40 layers of filo in each batch puffy. Sign up for a membership now! Plan on budgeting about $1 per piece. ", "The key is you just want to make laminated layers with the filling," he added. In a large bowl, stir together walnuts, brown sugar and cinnamon.