This is my own take on the classic Moroccan dessert pastry. It’s rich and decadent with hazelnuts and chocolate, but not too sweet since I use semi-sweet chocolate. The honey makes it moist, and the phyllo dough adds flakiness to round out each bite. It’s the perfect dessert for entertaining.
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Ingredients
Servings 24
- 24 sheets phyllo dough thawed if previously frozen
- 1 pound 4 sticks unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup unsalted roasted hazelnuts, chopped finely for the garnish
The filling
- 1 pound unsalted roasted hazelnuts
- 2 tablespoons orange blossom water or rose water
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 pound semisweet mini chocolate chips
The syrup
- 3/4 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 cup honey
- 3 tablespoons orange blossom water
Nutritional Facts
Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Baklava with Hazelnuts, Orange Blossom Water, and Honey
Amount per Serving
Calories
1358
% Daily Value*
Fat
59
g
91
%
Saturated Fat
30
g
188
%
Trans Fat
1
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
4
g
Monounsaturated Fat
20
g
Cholesterol
93
mg
31
%
Sodium
1494
mg
65
%
Potassium
338
mg
10
%
Carbohydrates
184
g
61
%
Fiber
7
g
29
%
Sugar
33
g
37
%
Protein
22
g
44
%
Vitamin A
1073
IU
21
%
Vitamin C
1
mg
1
%
Calcium
55
mg
6
%
Iron
10
mg
56
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Prepare the filling: Combine the hazelnuts, orange blossom water, and sugar in a food processor and chop coarsely. Add in the chocolate and mix.
- To clarify the butter, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat until it begins to boil. Skim the foam from the top and discard. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
- Unwrap the phyllo dough and place it on a flat surface. While you are working with a phyllo sheet, keep the rest of the block covered with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out.
- Using a pastry brush, coat a medium baking dish with a small amount of the melted butter.
- Lay one sheet of phyllo in the dish and brush it with butter. Cover with a second sheet and brush it with butter. Repeat until you have a layer of 6 sheets. Spread a third of the nut mixture over the phyllo layer.
- Repeat step 6 twice more and top with a final layer of phyllo.
- Make 3 cuts across the dough, approximately 3 1/2 inches apart across the length, and 2 cuts that are 3 1/4 inches across the width. Cut diagonally across each square, making 24 individual pieces (or cut diagonally across the length and width to make diamond shapes).
- Pour the remaining butter all over the pastry and bake for 1 hour at 325°F.
- While the baklava is baking, prepare the syrup: Combine the water, sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the honey and orange blossom water. Refrigerate until the baklava is ready.
- When the baklava has finished baking, remove it from the oven and pour the cold syrup all over. Sprinkle pinches of hazelnuts on top of each piece.
- Let it cool before serving.
Notes
Courtesy ofSharing Morocco: Exotic Flavors from My Kitchen to Yours by Ruth Barnes (Greenleaf Book Group)
