Metaxas (Moroccan Baklava) Recipe

Metaxas (Moroccan Baklava) Notes

This is the recipe that led me to The Spice House. I was planning an 11 course Moroccan banquet, complete with music and belly dancer for my husband's birthday. This version of Baklava is common in North Africa. I needed several specailty spices, among them the Orange Flower Water and Rose Water. The Spice House had them all. Five years later, all my spices come from The Spice House!

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 orange peel (no white pith)
• 1 lemon rind (no white pith)
• 5 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon orange flower water
• 3/4 cup walnuts, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup pistachios, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup lightly toasted, blanched almonds, chopped
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar
• 1 teaspoon rose water
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/4 pound unsalted butter, melted
• 1 package commercial phyllo dough sheets

Serves / Yields

30 servings

Preparation Instructions

For the syrup, combine the sugar, water, orange and lemon rinds, cloves and cinnamon stick in a saucepan. Bring to boil. Simmer, uncovered, about 5 minutes, to thicken syrup slightly. Remove from heat. Discard spices and rinds. Stir in honey and orange flower water. Cool to room temperature.

Combine nuts, sugar, ground cinnamon and rosewater.

Brush a 13x9x2-inch baking pan well with butter.

Separate 25 phyllo sheets from the package. Place under a smooth, damp towel to prevent the phyllo from drying out. Wrap remaining phyllo well and freeze for future use.

Place one phyllo sheet in buttered pan. Trim to fit. Brush generously with melted butter. Repeat procedure until there are 5 layers of buttered phyllo in the pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 nut mixture. Repeat this procedure two more times, ending with phyllo.

Drizzle any remaining butter over top. Bake in 350 degree oven 1 1/2 hours, or until golden brown. Remove baklava from oven. Using a sharp knife immediately cut long, diagonal lines from corner to corner, forming an "X" design. Follow these guidelines to cut baklava into serving-size diamonds. While still hot, pour cooled syrup over baklava. Let stand overnight before serving.

Credit

This recipe was provided by Kathryn Perry from Stockton.

Cuisines, Courses and Ingredients

• Dessert, Grain, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Moroccan, Nut

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