:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/20250417-SEA-CarrotCakeBaklava-RobbyLozano-Beauty2-61-de80a745283e4b66a59b77b72f334f47.jpg?w=1920&resize=1920,1440&ssl=1 "Carrot Cake Meets Baklava in This Pleasant Spring Dessert")
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Why It Works
- Pouring the honey combination over the baked baklava whereas the pastry continues to be sizzling ensures that the candy syrup absorbs into each layer.
- Buttering and stacking a number of sheets of phyllo dough between every layer of the carrot and nut filling ensures that the baklava is crispy in each chew.
When spring is in full bloom, I like to include native in-season carrots into any dish I can, together with dessert. Carrot cake is one in all my favorites, however there are such a lot of different methods to include greens into sweets, together with this carrot cake–impressed baklava, developed by our Birmingham, Alabama-based check kitchen colleague Marrianne Williams. It has all the greatest taste traits of carrot cake—candy, earthy carrots complemented with heat baking spices, together with cinnamon, floor ginger, and cardamom—but it surely’s folded right into a crunchy nut filling and layered between crisp sheets of phyllo dough for a inventive spin on baklava.
Although layering the numerous sheets of phyllo pastry with the filling could appear intimidating and labor-intensive, this dessert is definitely fairly easy to assemble and bake. The result’s a flaky, buttery deal with that could be a great addition to any Easter or spring dinner menu.
Crunchy and nutty baklava is widespread all through the Levant and Persian diaspora, in addition to many different international locations, together with Greece, Cyprus, and Türkiye. It is obtainable at native pastry outlets in many sorts. Although walnut- and pistachio–stuffed baklava are two very fashionable sorts of baklava you’ll discover in all these international locations, it’s a really customizable dessert that lends itself properly to variation, and the shapes, sizes, and fillings used usually depend upon the nation it’s made in.
For this iteration, shredded carrots are added to the nutty baklava filling for a seasonal contact. To make the filling, you may first finely grind pistachios and pecans in a meals processor earlier than stirring within the carrots, spices, and sugar. The colourful orange vegetable provides a delicate earthy sweetness that pairs properly with cinnamon, floor ginger, and cardamom. Whereas we love the mix of pistachios and pecans right here, you’ll be able to substitute with any mixture of nuts you like.
One of many many causes for baklava’s reputation is that it might probably—and will!—be made forward of time, because it tastes higher when made upfront. In the course of the resting time the baklava absorbs the honey- and sugar-syrup and the flavors change into extra pronounced. Portioned into neat diamonds or squares, this carrot cake–impressed baklava is a enjoyable spring twist on the basic—and a very good hand-held dessert (though a sticky one) for any gathering.
This recipe was developed by Marriane Williams; the headnote was written by Leah Colins.
Carrot Cake Meets Baklava in This Pleasant Spring Dessert
Cook dinner Mode
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1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (8.75 ounces; 248 g), divided
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3/4 cup (180 ml) water
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1/2 cup (120 ml) honey
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1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed gentle brown sugar, divided
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1 1/2 cups roasted, salted pistachios (5.5 ounces; 212 g)
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1 1/2 cups toasted pecans (5.5 ounces; 212 g)
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1 1/2 cups shredded carrots, (about 12 ounces; 340 g)
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1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut (3 ounces; 85 g)
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2 teaspoons floor cinnamon
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1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for desk salt use half as a lot by quantity
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1/2 teaspoon floor ginger
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1/4 teaspoon floor cardamom
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2 kilos frozen phyllo dough sheets, thawed (reminiscent of The Fillo Manufacturing facility model)
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9 ounces ghee or butter, melted (see notes)
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In a small saucepan, stir collectively 1 cup sugar, water, honey, and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Deliver to a boil over medium warmth. As soon as boiling, cut back warmth to low and simmer, stirring sometimes, till sugar has dissolved, 2 to three minutes. Put aside to chill whereas getting ready baklava.
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In a meals processor, pulse pistachios and pecans till finely chopped, about 12 pulses. Switch nuts to a big bowl and add carrots, coconut, cinnamon, salt, ginger, cardamom, remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar and stir to mix.
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Regulate oven rack to lower-middle place and preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). With a pastry brush, brush backside and sides of a 9- x 13-inch baking pan with melted ghee or butter.
Severe Eats / Robby Lozano
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Working with half of phyllo at a time, unroll phyllo onto a clear work floor and use a pointy knife to trim in to 9- x 13-inch rectangle to suit the ready baking pan. Discard or reserve phyllo trimmings for one more use.) Repeat with remaining phyllo and stack phyllo collectively and canopy with a humid paper towel. Place 1 phyllo sheet in baking pan, and brush prime with ghee or butter. High with one other phyllo sheet and brush with ghee or butter. Proceed layering 8 extra phyllo sheets, brushing every layer with ghee or butter (a complete of 10 sheets on backside layer).
Severe Eats / Robby Lozano
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Sprinkle 1 cup of carrot combination evenly over prime sheet of phyllo. Place one other phyllo sheet over carrot combination, and brush with ghee. Proceed layering 7 extra phyllo sheets, brushing every layer with ghee or butter (a complete of 8 phyllo sheets).
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Sprinkle 2 cups of the remaining carrot combination evenly over prime sheet of phyllo. Place one other phyllo sheet over carrot combination, and brush with ghee. Proceed layering 7 extra phyllo sheets with butter (a complete of 8 phyllo sheets). Sprinkle remaining carrot combination over prime phyllo sheet. Place one other phyllo sheet over carrot combination and brush with ghee or butter. Proceed with remaining phyllo sheets till all phyllo sheets are used, ending with a last brushing of ghee.
Severe Eats / Robby Lozano
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Utilizing a pointy knife, lower baklava lengthwise into 2-inch huge strips, ensuring to chop during the underside of pastry. Minimize baklava diagonally into 2-inch huge strips to create diamond formed items.
Severe Eats / Robby Lozano
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Bake baklava till deep golden brown and crispy, rotating pan midway by baking, about 1 hour. Take away from oven and instantly pour cooled honey syrup evenly over sizzling baklava, ensuring to achieve edges of pan. Set pan on a wire rack and funky, uncovered at room temperature, at the least 2 hours or as much as 24 hours earlier than serving or storing (see notes).
Severe Eats / Robby Lozano
Particular Tools
Small saucepan, 9- x 13-inch baking pan, pastry brush
Notes
To keep away from soggy baklava, be certain the baklava has cooled utterly earlier than protecting.
Make-Forward and Storage
The straightforward syrup might be refrigerated in an hermetic container for as much as 2 months.
Baklava tastes greatest after it has rested for 4 to six hours (or, ideally, in a single day), when the pastry has had an opportunity to soak up the syrup and the flavors are extra pronounced.
Cooled baklava might be stored in an hermetic container at room temperature for as much as 5 days. After that, it may be refrigerated for as much as 2 weeks.
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