Easy Brownie Mix Cookies

 Recipe from Mary Beth B. for our 20 June 2023 Lakes of the Lakes pool party. 

 (https://www.backtomysouthernroots.com/brownie-mix-cookies/)

These cookies were awesome!!!

Ingredients

1 - 18 ounce box of brownie mix
2 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips
 
Instructions
 
Heat oven to 375-degrees. Grease a cookie sheet with non-stick spray or line with parchment paper.
 
Add the brownie mix to a large bowl.
 
Next, add the eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and flour and mix well. (It will be very thick dough).
 
Add the chocolate chips and mix.
 
Roll the cookies in 1-1/2-inch balls and set them two inches apart on a greased cookie sheet.
 
Bake for 10 minutes and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before moving them from the pan.
 
Cool on a cooling rack.
 
Notes
 
TIP: The batter will be a very thick batter.
 
If the cookies are still doughy after 10 minutes, bake them for a few more minutes until the outsides look crinkly.

Roasted Butternut Squash

My friend Megan made this for our 26 June 2023 Cookbook Club in Brunswick Forest. It was excellent, especially the roasted garlic. This recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics cookbook. Lots of great recipes!

Servings: Serves 6

 
Ingredients
 
1 large butternut squash
1 head garlic separated but not peeled
2 Tbsp. good olive oil
2-1/2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces thinly sliced pancetta chopped
16 whole fresh sage leaves
French bread for serving
 
Directions
 
Preheat oven to 400°. Peel and seed butternut squash and then cut into 3/4- to 1-inch cubes. Place squash and whole unpeeled garlic cloves in a baking dish or sheet pan large enough to hold them all in one layer. Toss with olive oil, maple syrup, salt, and pepper, and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until squash begins to brown, turning once during baking.

Sprinkle pancetta and sage leaves evenly over squash and continue to bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, until squash and garlic are tender and caramelized. Season to taste and serve hot with French bread for guests to spread with the roasted garlic.
 

Creamy Cucumber Salad

 For a recent Cookbook Club dinner, 26 June 2023, one person made this summer salad. This recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics cookbook. The recipe is posted here: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/creamy-cucumber-salad-recipe-1948542

Ingredients
 
4 hothouse cucumbers, thinly sliced (3 to 4 pounds)
2 small red onions, thinly sliced in half rounds
Kosher salt
4 cups (32 ounces) plain whole-milk yogurt
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1/2 cup minced fresh dill
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
 
Directions
 
Mix the cucumbers, red onions, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt in a bowl. Pour them into a colander and suspend it over a bowl. Wrap the bowl and colander with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator to drain for at least 4 hours or overnight. Discard the liquid that collects in the bowl.
 
Pour the yogurt into a sieve lined with a paper towel and suspend it over another bowl. Wrap the bowl and sieve in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Discard the liquid that collects in the second bowl.
 
When the cucumbers are ready, roll them up in paper towels or a kitchen towel and press the towel lightly to remove most of the liquid. Place the cucumbers and yogurt in a large bowl with the sour cream, vinegar, dill, 2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper. Toss well and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and serve chilled.
 

Honey Vanilla Pound Cake

For a recent Cookbook Club dinner, 26 June 2023, one person made this delicious dessert. This recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics cookbook.

Ingredients

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions
 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom of an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.
 
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until light. Meanwhile, put the eggs, honey, vanilla, and lemon zest in a glass measuring cup but do not combine. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the egg mixture, one egg at a time, scraping down the bowl and allowing each egg to become incorporated before adding the next egg.
 
Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder. With the mixer on low speed, add it slowly to the batter until just combined. Finish mixing the batter with a rubber spatula and pour it into the prepared pan. Smooth the top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes, turn out onto a baking rack, and cool completely.
 

Italian Wedding Soup

 For a recent Cookbook Club dinner, 26 June 2023, one person made this soup. This recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics cookbook.

Ingredients
 
For the meatballs:

3/4 pound ground chicken
1/2 pound chicken sausage, casings removed
2/3 cup fresh white bread crumbs
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
3 tablespoons milk
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
 
For the soup:

2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 cup minced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
3/4 cup diced celery (2 stalks), cut into 1/4 inch pieces
10 cups homemade chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup small pasta such as tubetini or stars
1/4 cup minced fresh dill
12 ounces baby spinach, washed and trimmed
 
Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1 to 1 1/4-inch meatballs onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (You should have about 40 meatballs. They don't have to be perfectly round.) Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.
 
In the meantime, for the soup, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil. Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1 minute, until the spinach is just wilted. Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle each serving with extra grated Parmesan.
 

Raisin Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

For a recent Cookbook Club dinner, 26 June 2023, I made these cookies. This recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics cookbook.
 

 
Makes 30 to 35 cookies
 
Ingredients
 
1-1/2 c. pecans
1/2 lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 c. dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 c. granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs, room temperature
2 t. vanilla extract
1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. kosher salt
3 c. old-fashioned oatmeal
1.5 c. raisins
 
Directions
 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
 
Place the pecans on a sheet pan and bake for 5 minutes, until crisp. Set aside to cool. Chop very coarsely.
 
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla.
 
Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt together into a medium bowl. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Add the oats, raisins, and pecans and mix just until combined.
 
Using a small ice-cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop 2-inch mounds of dough onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper. Flatten slightly with a damp hand. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Transfer the cookies to a baking rack and cool completely.
 
 
My notes: 
 
I broke u p the pecans into pieces before placing them in the oven. Baked for about 8-10 minutes.
 
I only had a hand electric mixer. I used a wooden spoon to mix in the oats, raisins, and pecans.
 
I made each cookie smaller than the 2-inch mounds and ended up with 58 cookies.
 
Baked for about 17-18 minutes. They came out crunchy. Between 12-15 minutes, the middle was too doughy.

Excellent cookies!  

Sandy Nielson's Asparagus Quiche with a Spaghetti Squash Crust

Recipe from Sandy Nielson, 26 June 2023

*Serves 6-8*
 
A delicious quiche that's crust-less. 
 

(Adapted from: https://tastykitchen.com/recipes/main-courses/asparagus-quiche-with-a-spaghetti-squash-crust/ and one of Sandy's other recipe she uses to make a quiche).

Ingredients:
 
13 ounces of asparagus - I used a dozen or so asparagus spears cut into bite size pieces and blanched
1 good sized medium shallot diced into small pieces (or 1⁄2 small onion)
1 - 2 garlic cloves (your preference)
1 - 2 teaspoons of olive oil
5 eggs
1 cup of milk
1 1⁄2 cups of swiss cheese divided (I used Trader Joe’s Swiss & Gruyere shredded cheese mix)
1⁄2 teaspoon of salt
1⁄4 teaspoon of pepper
3 cups approximately of cooked spaghetti squash (1 medium squash) **see note below on how to prep squash for the pie “crust”
1⁄8 tsp of red chili flakes (optional)
 
Preparation:
 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
 
Wash and cut off/snap off the woody ends of the asparagus. Cut the asparagus spears into 1 inch long pieces and set aside. Chop the shallot or onion and mince the garlic.
 
Next, bring a pot of water to a boil with a tsp of salt. Toss the cut asparagus spears into the boiling water for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes (depending on their thickness) and then remove them quickly with a slotted spoon. Plunge them immediately into a bowl of ice water. Drain and set asparagus pieces aside on a dish towel to remove the excess moisture and so that they will cool off. This “plunge” keeps their vibrant green color!
 
Next, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat, and sauté the shallots or onion, and garlic for a few minutes until soft and translucent. *If you prefer not to blanch the asparagus using the above method, you can now add them here, and continue to sauté until the asparagus has turned bright green and is soft but not limp.
 
Whisk together the eggs, milk, cheese, salt and pepper, pepper flakes.
 
Grease a pie plate lightly with a butter or olive oil. Press the cooked spaghetti squash into the sides and bottom of the pan, forming an “even crust”. Spread 1⁄2 cup of the swiss cheese in the bottom of the pie pan. Then sprinkle the asparagus spears, shallot or onion mixture and garlic in the bottom of the squash crust. Pour the egg mixture into the pie plate. Add the last 1 cup of cheese to the egg mixture, and be sure it sinks in.
 
Bake for 40 - 50 minutes until the quiche is firm and enjoy!
 
*How to Prep the Spaghetti Squash:
 
Cut the squash in half. Remove all the seeds by scraping them out with a tablespoon. Brush with olive oil and lay both halves, cut side down on parchment paper. Bake for approximately 40-50 minutes at 425 degrees.
 
When the squash has cooled some, use a fork to shred the spaghetti squash and put it into a colander to drain any excess moisture. You can use the back of a large spoon to press or squeeze out the excess H2O in the squash as it sits in the colander. Next, put all the shredded squash into the pie plate and press it to form “the crust”. This part of the recipe can be done the day before if you prefer, so that it’s all ready to go the next day and it cuts down on the prep time the day of baking. Just cover the crust with Saran Wrap and put it in the refrigerator. (This simplified the process a bunch for me and was a timesaver.)
 

The next day you can remove the prepared crust from the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for 30-45 minutes, to bring to room temperature. Next, bake the spaghetti “crust” for 7 minutes at 400 degrees. This is so that the spaghetti “crust” isn’t too “wet” or moist. Take it out of the oven after 7 minutes and then prepare the egg mixture. 

Solterito Arequipeño Salad “little bachelor from Arequipeño”

Tony and I hosted a Peruvian dinner with friends (15 June 2023). One couple made this wonderful salad.  It's a perfect summer salad. 

 
[My notes]
 
1 can corn, rinsed
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. black olives (more to taste)  [sliced]
1 pt. grape tomatoes, halved or quartered  [seeds removed]
Colorful peppers chopped coarsely
Salt and pepper to taste
Smoked paprika to taste
1/2 c. cilantro (hold to end) sprinkle on top
1-1/2 c. queso fresco small cubes (hold to end)
1 avocado small cubes (hold to end)
 
Sauce: 5 T extra virgin olive oil, 3+ T Jalapeno [about 1.8 oz], blend in cuisinart – add at serving.
 
Make early to let salad marinate in fridge.
 
Hold off on avocado, cilantro, cheese when ready to serve.

Guacamole

For a recent Cookbook Club dinner, 17 May 2023, one participant made this creamy guacamole. He tripled this recipe. This recipe is from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book Limited Edition.

Makes 1 cup dip 

Ingredients

2 medium very ripe avocados, halved, seeded, peeled, and cut up

1/2 of a small onion, cut up

1/2 of a 4-ounce can (1/4 cup) diced green chile peppers, drained; 2 fresh jalapeno chile peppers, seeded and chopped; or several drops bottled hot pepper sauce

1 T. snipped fresh cilantro or parsley

1 T. lemon juice or lime juice

1 clove garlic, minced

2/3 cup finely chopped, peeled, seeded tomato (1 medium) (optional)

Tortilla chips

Directions

In a food processor bowl or blender container combine avocados, onion, chile peppers, cilantro, lemon juice, garlic and 1/4 t. salt. Cover and process or blend until mixture is smooth, scraping sides as necessary. If desired, stir in tomato. 

Serve with chips.

Make-ahead directions

Prepare as above, except do not stir in tomato, if using. Cover and chill for up to 24 hours. if desired, stir in tomato just before serving.

Lamb Cassoulet

For a recent Cookbook Club dinner, 17 May 2023, one participant made this delicious hearty cassoulet. This recipe is from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book Limited Edition.
 

Servings: 8
 
Ingredients
 
2 cups dry navy beans
1 pound lean boneless lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 cup chopped carrots (2 medium)
1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1 tablespoon instant beef bouillon granules
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoon snipped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
8 ounce skinless, boneless chicken thighs cut into 1-inch pieces
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 teaspoon salt
Salt and black pepper
 
Directions
 
Rinse beans. In a large  Dutch oven combine beans and 8 cups water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer for 2 minutes.
 
Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. (Or, place beans in water in Dutch oven. Cover and let soak in a cool place for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.) Drain and rinse beans. Return beans to Dutch oven.
 
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown lamb, half at a time, in hot oil; drain fat. Add lamb, carrots sweet pepper, onion, bouillon granules, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme (if using), garlic, and bay leaves to beans in Dutch oven.
 
Add 4 cups fresh water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until beans are tender.
 
Stir in fresh thyme (if using), chicken, undrained tomatoes and 1/2  teaspoon salt. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes more. Discard bay leaves. Skim fat.

 
Cooks Notes: Used chicken broth instead of bouillon granules. Probably tastes better if served the next day, but it was still delicious.

Chicken Cabbage Salad

For a recent Cookbook Club dinner, 17 May 2023, one participant made this delicious salad. This recipe is from  the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book Limited Edition.

Ingredients

1 3-oz package Ramen noodles
1/4 cup slivered or sliced almonds
2 T. sesame seeds
3 cups shredded Napa or green cabbage (about 1/2 of a 1-pound head)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey
1 cup pea pods, halved crosswise
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (2)
1/4 cup chopped red sweet pepper (optional)
3 T. salad oil
2 T. white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. toasted sesame oil (optional)

Directions

 
Save seasoning packet from noodles for another use. Break up noodles; place in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with the almonds and sesame seeds. Bake in a 305 degree oven for 5 to 8 minutes or until golden, stirring once. Set aside.
 
In a large salad bowl place cabbage, chicken, pea pods, green onions, and if desired, red sweet pepper; toss to combine.
 
For dressing, in a screw-top jar combine salad oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and if desired, sesame oil. Cover and shake well. Pour over cabbage mixture. Add toasted noodle mixture; toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Bread Pudding

I made this for the Brunswick Forest Cookbook Club dinner, 17 May 2023. This was a hit. This recipe is from  the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book Limited Edition.

Serves: 8

Ingredients

 
4 beaten eggs
2-1/4 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar
1 T vanilla
1 t. finely shredded orange peel (optional)  [I zested the peel]
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
4 Cups dry French bread cubes or regular bread cubes (6 to 7 slices bread) [I used a French baguette]
1/3 cup dried cherries or cranberries, or raisins [I used raisins]
1 recipe Bourbon Sauce (optional)

Directions

 
In a large bowl beat together eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, orange peel (if desired), and cinnamon. In an ungreased 2-quart square baking dish toss together bread cubes and dried fruit; pour egg mixture evenly over bread mixture. Press mixture lightly with back of a large spoon.
 
Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes or under puffed and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool slightly. If desired, served warm with Bourbon sauce.
 

Bourbon Sauce
 
Makes 2/3 cup sauce
 
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 beaten egg yolk
2 T water
1 to 2 T bourbon
 
In a small saucepan melt the butter. Stir in the sugar, egg yolk, and water. Cook and stir mixture over medium-low heat 5 to 6 minutes or until sugar dissolves and mixture boils. Remove from heat; stir in bourbon. Serve warm over bread pudding.
 
Notes: 

Since I was making this for a large group (about 18 people), I made this in a 9’x13” baking dish. I multiplied the measurements by 1.5 for the larger baking dish.

Make sure when heating up the bourbon sauce that you keep it on medium-low heat so the egg yolk doesn't curdle. 

Creamy Dill Coleslaw

Our Brunswick Forest cookbook club met on 11 April 2023.  The recipes that everyone selected were from Giada de Laurentiis’s cookbook called, Eat Better, Feel Better: My Recipes for Wellness and Healing, Inside and Out. My friend Candy made this coleslaw.
 

Ingredients

1 medium head of savoy cabbage, quartered, core removed, and sliced fine
1 .T plus 1 t. kosher salt
3/4 C. coconut yogurt, such as COYO
1 T. whole-grain mustard
3 T. cider vinegar
1/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 C. chopped fresh dill
1 carrot, grated on the large holes of a box grater
 

Directions

In a large container, toss the cabbage with 1 T kosher salt. With your hands, massage the sale into the cabbage for about 3 minutes. Place the colander in the sink and let the cabbage drain for 15 minutes.
 
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mustard, vinegar, olive oil, dill, and the remaining 1 t. salt until smooth. Add the carrot and stir to coat. Squeeze out any excess from the cabbage and add the cabbage to the bowl, tossing well combine with the carrots and dressing. Let the slaw stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator to marry the flavors.

Simple Braised Mushrooms

Our Brunswick Forest cookbook club met on 11 April 2023.  The recipes that everyone made were from Giada de Laurentiis’s cookbook called, Eat Better, Feel Better: My Recipes for Wellness and Healing, Inside and Out. 

 
I selected this simple but delicious mushroom side dish. It was a hit along with many other recipes that evening.
 
Serves 6
 
Total time: 35 minutes
 
Ingredients
 

2 T. olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1-1/2 t. kosher salt, divided
3 (10 oz) packages cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 T dry Marsala, sherry, or white wine, optional
1/2 c. chicken or vegetable broth
1 T unsalted butter
 
 
Directions
 
Heat a large straight-sided skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and heat another 30 seconds. Add the shallot and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt to the hot pan and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes or until fragrant and beginning to soften. 

  

Add the mushrooms to the pan along with another 1/2 teaspoon salt and the thyme.  Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms have let off some of their juices are beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.

 
Deglaze with the Marsala, if using, and add the broth and remaining salt. Reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover the pan, increase the heat to medium and cook until the liquid has reduced by half, about an additional 5 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs, stir in the butter and serve.
 
My Notes: 
 
I used chicken broth and white wine.
 
I added two cloves of garlic, chopped, when I added the shallots to the skillet. 
 
Next time I will also add some hot pepper flakes.
 
In my opinion, the butter is really not needed.

Greek Bean Soup

I made this recipe for a local cookbook dinner club. This is from The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook by America's Test Kitchen.

Ingredients

Salt and Pepper
1 lb (2-1/2 cups) dried cannellini beans, picked over and rinsed (I used four cans of Goya cannellini beans, drained and rinsed)
2 T extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
1 onion, chopped
2-1/2 t minced fresh oregano or 3/4 t dried
6 c chicken or vegetable broth, plus extra as needed (I used chicken broth)
4 celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 T lemon juice
1 t ground dried Aleppo pepper
2 T chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Armenian Paklava

Armenian Paklava

By Kim Ohanian

9 March 2023

 
I’ve never made Baklava before, as I always thought it was difficult to make. Kim offered to teach a few of us how to make this delicious dessert. This is her recipe that she and her Mother made all the time. Four of us spent a few hours in her kitchen yesterday. This is an Armenian Paklava, which is similar to the Greek Baklava, but does not include honey. As we made this together, I jotted down some notes.
 
Ingredients:
 

  

1 package filo dough – thawed in refrigerator if frozen
3/4 lb unsalted butter – clarified*
1 lb walnuts – chopped
1 t. cinnamon
2 C. plus 3 T sugar
1/4 t. rose water or lemon juice
1 C. water
 
*Note: Place butter in small saucepan and heat over low heat until completely melted. Skim off the creamy white layer.  The clear butter remaining is the clarified butter.
 

  

Directions:

 
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
 
In a bowl, mix together walnuts, cinnamon and 3 T sugar. Brush the bottom and sides of an 8-1/2” x 11” baking pan with clarified butter. Place one sheet of filo dough in the pan (fold sides as needed to fit in the pan) and brush with clarified butter. Continue placing sheets of filo dough in pan until half the sheets are used. Make sure you brush with clarified butter after you add each sheet.

Add walnut filling and spread evenly over filo dough. Add remaining sheets of filo dough, remembering to brush each sheet with clarified butter. If you have any clarified butter remaining, pour over top layer. Cut pastry into approximately 2 inch squares and cut each square into two triangles.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until top is golden, then lower to 350 degrees and bake an additional 45 minutes. Total baking time is 1 hour.

 

Remove from oven and cool.
 
While pastry is cooling, prepare syrup. In a saucepan, combine 2 cups sugar, water, and rose-water or lemon juice. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring continuously until sugar is dissolved.
 
Pour syrup over cooled pasty, let stand a few minutes, tip baking pan and pour syrup back into saucepan. You will perform this process three additional times. This allows the syrup to be absorbed by the pastry and not pool at the bottom.

Serve at Room temperature.

 
This made 64 pieces.  See photo of nutrition facts, in which I used verywellfit.com.
 
Notes:
 
Do not use a glass baking pan or a Teflon baking pan, as you don’t want the Paklava to slip out when you are tilting the pan to remove the syrup.
 
Buy Vietnamese cinnamon, as it is highly aromatic.
 
We melted/clarified 1 lb of butter, but not all of it went into the pan.
 
Pulse the walnuts in a food processor into small pieces.
 
Optional to use lemon juice, but Kim always uses rose water.
 
We used two sheets of filo at a time, not one. As we repeated the layers, we turned the pan around and folded the ends on the opposite side –alternating each side. For the last layer, fold down for a nice finish.
 
Since we moved pretty quickly to lay down the filo, Kim stated we didn’t need to cover the filo with a cloth. If you are taking a lot of time, it’s best to cover the filo.
 
Use a pastry brush to brush the clarified butter.
 
Place the pan in the refrigerator 45 to 60 minutes, as this will help you to cut the Paklava easier.
 
The oven was preheated before taking the pan out of the refrigerator.
 
When cutting the Paklava, some of the top layers stuck to the knife and fingers. I suggested dipping your fingers in the leftover butter to help keep the filo in place and not sticking to the knife and fingers. Make sure you use a very sharp knife.

 
We let the Paklava cool for about an hour before adding the syrup.

Each piece was placed in a mini cupcake liner.
 
Store in an air-tight container [can be stored for several days]. Don’t refrigerate, as the filo will soften and you’ll miss the enjoyment of the flaky dough.
 
This can be prepared ahead of time and frozen BEFORE baking.  
 
“Pak” meaning Lent, and “halva” meaning sweet, this dish is traditionally made with 40 layers of dough to represent the 40 days of Lent and is served after Easter services.”