A luxurious baklava stuffed with mashed dried apricot, almonds, and orange blossom water, wrapped in golden phyllo sheets and brushed with butter. A traditional Arabic sweet with a fragrant flavor and a crunchy texture.
An innovative baklava that steps away from the traditional pistachio and presents dried apricot with almond and orange blossom water, becoming an Arabic sweet with a crunchy texture and a distinctive floral fragrance.
Place the chopped dried apricot in a deep dish and cover it with water, a few fingers above the surface. Leave it to soak for a full hour until it softens and absorbs the water.
Drain the apricot from the soaking water and place it in a thick-bottomed pot. Add the sugar and cinnamon and place the pot over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar melts and the apricot thickens. Pour in the orange blossom water and rose water and stir, then add the crushed almonds and let the filling cool completely. The filling can be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator for several days.
Set the middle wire rack in the oven and preheat it to 180 degrees Celsius. Prepare a low-edge baking tray and set it aside.
Place the melted butter in a deep plate and have a wide brush ready, and keep them next to the work area to make it easy to brush the sheets quickly before they dry out.
Place a sheet of phyllo dough in front of you on the table, and brush it with a little butter. Place a second sheet on top and brush it with butter as well. Place two tablespoons of the filling on the shorter edge of the sheet, then roll it into a cylinder several times until you reach the edge, and fix the end well. Place the baklava in the tray, and repeat with the rest of the sheets until the quantity is used up.
Brush the surface of the baklava with the remaining butter using a wide brush, and place it in the preheated oven for 25 minutes until golden and crunchy.
Take the baklava out of the oven and let it cool a little, then cut it with a serrated knife into fingers of the desired size. Sprinkle the powdered sugar on top and serve it warm or at room temperature.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing Baklava with Dried Apricot and Almond, and how to fix them:
Brush each sheet more generously and work quickly, and cover the unused sheets with a damp cloth.
Keeps in the refrigerator for a week in an airtight container, and can be frozen before baking for a month.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| crushed almonds | shredded coconut or pistachio | Same quantity | Each ingredient gives the filling a different flavor, and coconut adds a lovely tropical sweetness. |
| Ingredient | 4 people | 6 people | 10 people |
|---|---|---|---|
| dried apricot | 2 cups | 3 cups | 5 cups |
| phyllo dough | half a pack | three quarters of a pack | one and a half packs |
| butter | half a cup | three quarters of a cup | one and a third cups |
Keep damp parchment paper over the remaining phyllo sheets during work to prevent them from drying out, because dry phyllo breaks when rolled.
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