Incorporating Cooking: Apple Baklava

Cooking is one of the best activities for bringing together various academic skills. There is reading, listening skills, math, science, as well as other subjects. This is a yummy recipe, a bit more involved, whose result is twist on a traditional Greek pastry.

Ingredients:

6 Golden Delicious apples
6 Granny Smith apples
2 tablespoons Unsalted butter
6 tablespoons Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon


Nut Mixture:
2 1/2 cups Walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

24 Sheets phyllo dough
1/2 cup Unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons Plain dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons Honey

Directions:

Prep time: 1 hour plus cooling
Baking time: 35 to 40 minutes Apples


Sauteing apples first to let the water evaporate ensures a crisp crust.

APPLE LAYER:
1. Peel and slice apples.
2. Melt butter in Dutch oven over high heat.
3. Add apples, sugar and cinnamon; cook, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender and juices are evaporated, 15 to 20 minutes.
4. Cool.

NUT MIXTURE:
1. Combine all ingredients in small bowl.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
3. Trim phyllo sheets to 13x9-inch rectangles; cover with plastic wrap.
4. Brush 13x9-inch metal baking pan with butter.
5. Place 1 phyllo sheet in pan and brush with some of the melted butter (keep remaining phyllo covered).
6. Layer 5 more phyllo sheets on top, brushing each with butter.
7. Spread 2 cups nut mixture on top and repeat layering with 6 more phyllo sheets and butter.
8. Spread apple mixture on top; repeat layering with 6 more phyllo sheets and butter.
9. Sprinkle remaining nut mixture on top; sprinkle with bread crumbs and layer with the 6 remaining phyllo sheets and butter.
10. With sharp knife, cut lengthwise through pastry and filling into 1 1/2 inch-wide strips, then cut diagonally at 2-inch intervals to make diamonds.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until golden. Drizzle honey on top and bake 5 minutes more. Cool in pan on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped or ice cream.

Makes 12 servings.

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