Recipe - Baklava With Cream Filling (Muhallebili Baklava)

Karen Mintzias
1 pound Phyllo pastry sheets
Three fourths pound Sweet butter; melted

FILLING
3 cup Milk
1/3 cup Sugar
One fourth teaspoon Salt
One half cup Fine grain semolina

SYRUP
2 2/3 cup Sugar
2 cup Water
2 tablespoon Lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 F after the filling has been prepared.

Divide the pastry into 2equal parts. Lay 1 sheet on a wellbuttered 11 x
16 inch baking pan. Brush surface generously with melted butter. Lay
second sheet on top of first and butter. Repeat until half of the pastry
sheets have been used.

Cover unused half of pastry sheets with a kitchen cloth to prevent drying.

Prepare the filling: Over medium heat bring milk, sugar and salt to a boil
in a saucepan. Add farina by sprinkling in a little at a time, stirring
constantly until the mixture thickens and the farina is well cooked.

Spread the hot farina mixture evenly over the entire surface of pastry
sheets. Again build up the remaining half of the pastry sheets, buttering
each surface generously, on top of farina. Pour the remaining butter over
the top. Cut pastry sheets into 24 equal squares. Bake for 40 to 45
minutes or until light golden.

While the baklava is cooking prepare syrup: Place sugar, water, and lemon
juice in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until
sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes without
stirring. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Remove baklava from oven. Pour off all excess butter by tilting the pan.
Cook for 10 minutes. Brush surface lightly with some of the drained butter
to give luster to the pastry. Pour syrup over a little at a time, until
all is absorbed. Allow to cool for several hours.

From: "The Art of Turkish Cooking" by Neset Eren.

Typed for you by Karen Mintzias
Posted to MMRecipes Digest V3 #331

From: Suzy suzy@gannett.infi.net

Date: Mon, 2 Dec 1996 20:53:51 0500 (EST)