Have you ever heard the expression, “I got it from my momma.” Well, in this case, it is absolutely true. When I was younger — my mother, on only very special occasions — would make the most amazing pan of baklalva. It was award winning! And now that I am a pro in all things macaron making I wanted to bring a piece of my childhood to you. And trust me, this is a recipe that you won’t soon forget.
I first taught this recipe for a charity event, the buzz was swarming so strongly we released a modified version to respect those that bought the class. Well, you are in luck! This is the original recipe that I hope you will use and love at your next pop-up shop, or just as a treat for a friend.
Here are some tips to make this recipe amazing.
First, don’t skimp on the cinnamon. TRUST ME.
Second: let the simple syrup completely cool before drizzling it on the mac. I use about 1/4 teaspoon. Sometimes a second spoon is needed to help keep your hands clean.
Three: The nut mixture is enough to easily make 3-4 dozen, maybe more!
Ingredients for the baklava topping
1 cup walnuts
1/8 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsps. cinnamon
Whirl together in food processor, until nuts are roughly chopped. Set aside.
Ingredients for Simple Syrup:
1 ½ cups sugar
¾ cup water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
Combine sugar, water and lemon juice in a small sauce pan and stirring continually, cook over moderate heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and begin timing from the moment the syrup boils. Cook briskly, uncovered, for about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in honey. Pour the syrup into a pitcher or other container with a pour spout, and set aside. Later you will add this to the buttercream and also directly to the mac.
Baklava buttercream
Use our same classic American buttercream recipe but with these changes: Cut down the whipping cream to just 2 Tablespoons, adding instead ¼ cup of the simple syrup. The consistency will change, but trust me, it’s still pipeable!
Baklava Macs from SweetMacShop
Ingredients
Ingredients for Simple Syrup for Baklava Macs
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 Tbls. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 Tbls. honey
Ingredients for Baklva Topping
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1/8 cup granulated sugar
- 1½ tsp. cinnamon
American Buttercream
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter Let sit on counter for 30 minutes.
- 250 grams powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Place butter in bowl of mixer, and attach paddle flat beater. Mix on medium speed until butter breaks up and is starting to look smooth.
- Add vanilla and salt; mix for 30 seconds until combined.
- Add in heavy whipping cream.
- Measure powdered sugar on scale. Slowly add to the mixer, 1 cup at a time.
- PRO TIP: Start the mixer speed back up slowly after adding the cup of powdered sugar, otherwise, pull out the mop.
- Once ingredients are all mixed, turn the mixer to medium high and set timer for five minutes.
- Flavor or color the buttercream to your preference. We make a huge batch of plain, then add flavor and color depening on the amount of buttercream we need. Making one large batch saves time in the long run.
- NOTE: American Buttercream will keep up to two weeks in the fridge, and one day at room temperature.
This recipe is incredible!! Thank you so much Barb!!
Can I just use regular buttercream?
Kristin,
Sure! we adjust it just a bit to give the baklava more of a unique flavor. Barb