Baklava Tart Recipe

This bonus recipe is ‘on demand’, by Roger Neel’s request.  If you like baklava but don’t like fussing with the layering of the pastry and nuts, this finger-food friendly recipe is much easier and faster (and just as delicious).

Baklava Tarts (prep. time about a half hour)

10 oz. chopped walnuts

¼ C. packed brown sugar

1 rounded Tbl. Cinnamon

¼ tsp. ground nutmeg

1 stick unsalted butter

Pinch of salt

½ C. honey

6 sheets of thawed phylo dough

Have the nuts, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt all combined in a mixing bowl and the butter melted before removing the thawed dough from the package. Also, have a damp paper towel handy to cover the dough to keep it from drying out and breaking.  Pre-heat oven to 350.  Brush the insides of muffin pans with melted butter.  Spread the phylo dough out on a paper lined cookie sheet and cut into 3” squares with a pizza wheel. Cover all but the first square with a towel.  Press two sheets of dough in muffin cup, brush with butter, two more sheets, brush with butter, last two sheets & butter. Spoon nut mixture into the center and move on to the next cups until dough and filling are gone. Spoon about a teaspoon of butter over the top of each.

Place tarts in the oven and bake until pastry is brown. (about ten minutes)

On the stovetop, warm up left-over butter and stir in honey to make a syrup. (Tip: to get honey or molasses to flow cleanly from a cup or spoon, spray first with cooking spray) If necessary, you can and in and melt more butter to be sure there is enough for each tart.

Once out of the oven, allow to cool slightly and carefully remove from pans and place on a serving dish. Spoon the warm honey syrup over the top to your personal sweetness tolerance.  Since the tarts are less saturated with honey than traditional Greek baklava, they are easy to handle and enjoy.

Any questions can be emailed to me: Kathy@wnbf.com.