Hi there!
I'm afraid an imaginary cherry flavored popsicle that turns your hair
green is a bit out of my league (I turn my own hair purple, but I
haven't figured out how to do that just by eating something -
otherwise, I'd happily share the method!).
I *can*, however, take care of the following requirements for you:
-- real
-- fantastic
-- makes everyone think you're cool
-- available before Thursday
-- serves 15
-- less than $30
And as a bonus - it won't melt. You don't even need to stick it in a
cooler!
I refuse to call it "weird", though. You might, it's a bit unusual if
you're not familiar with Mediterranean cuisine, but since I make it
all the time, it's not weird to me.
It's baklava, and I'm about to give away the recipe that friends beg
me to make for them whenever we get together. I can't believe I'm
letting one of my secret weapons loose! But you sound like you need
something nifty, and if you can follow a few instructions, you're on
your way to making your friends very happy campers.
To start, you'll need:
1 large jelly roll pan
(they look like this: http://store3.yimg.com/I/inspchef_1688_1630869)
a large pastry brush
a large bowl
1 package (16 oz) Phyllo dough (also called Fillo), thawed (you can
find this in the frozen section at the grocer's, usually near the puff
pastry and frozen pie shells)
1 pound BUTTER (NOT margarine!!), softened
1 pound walnuts, very finely chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon cloves
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 bottle (16 oz) honey
Set your oven to 350 to preheat.
First - combine the finely chopped walnuts with the sugar, cloves and
cinnamon in the large bowl. Mix well, and make sure that any larger
bits of walnut are smashed up. (These should be chopped *very finely*
- use the "grate" setting on your blender to chop a little at a time
if you don't want to fuss with doing it by hand with a chef's knife.)
Carefully unwrap the phyllo, and lay it flat on your table or counter.
Cover it with a sheet of plastic, followed by a damp tea towel -
phyllo is fragile and dries quickly, so you're going to need to work
quickly. (It's not hard, I promise!)
Using the pastry brush, thoroughly butter the bottom and sides of the
jelly roll pan. Remove the tea towel and plastic, and quickly place a
single sheet of phyllo into the buttered pan. Don't worry if the
phyllo sheet is bigger than the pan - smush the overhanging bits into
the pan (similarly, don't worry if it's too small - just be careful to
keep them all lined up as you work). Butter the sheet of phyllo, then
add another sheet. Repeat this until you've layered and buttered 5 or
6 sheets.
Carefully spread half of the sugar/walnut/spice mixture over the top
sheet of buttered phyllo, being careful to spread it evenly to the
edges. Drizzle the entire surface generously with honey, then quickly
place another sheet of phyllo over that, and butter the phyllo.
Resume layering and buttering the phyllo until you've once again
layered 5 or 6 sheets. Pour the remaining walnut mixture on the top
sheet, spread carefully, and once again drizzle the entire surface
with honey. Place another sheet of phyllo on top of this, butter it,
and continue layering and buttering for another 6 - 8 sheets of
phyllo.
Make sure the last sheet is buttered all the way to the very edges.
Slip this into your preheated oven, and bake til golden brown and
slightly puffy. This can take anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes,
depending on your oven, so keep an eye on it. When you can smell the
cinnamon wafting through your home, it's done, or very nearly so, so
peek in on it!
Pull it out, and set it aside to cool. While it's cooling, you'll
need to make a syrup for it - either a rosewater based syrup (which
always garners rave reviews) or, if you can't lay hands on a bottle of
rosewater, a honey-lemon syrup.
For the syrup:
Combine 1 bottle (10 oz) distilled rosewater (available at
Syrian/Lebanese/Greek/Turkish grocers) with 1 1/2 cups of white sugar
in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue adding
sugar a teaspoonful at a time, until it no longer completely
dissolves. Remove from heat, and allow to cool slightly. Syrup will
thicken as it cools.
If rosewater is unavailable, use 10 oz. plain water, and add two
tablespoons honey and four tablespoons lemon juice.
Carefully pour the syrup over the finished pan of baklava, and allow
to cool for several hours, preferably overnight. When the baklava has
cooled completely, use a very sharp knife to cut it into small (about
an inch and a half) diamond shaped pieces.
This is usually enough baklava for 20 people, and a single pan costs
about $10 to make. (And unlike ice cream, it actually tastes good
with beer!)
Beware! If you make this once, your friends and co-workers will beg
you to do it again, and they'll complain bitterly if you don't.
If you find that these instructions are a little confusing, or you
want to use rosewater but know where to find it, simply ask for
clarification, and I'll be glad to help.
Good luck, and have a great time!
--Missy |
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