Orange Baklava Sundae

Layers of flaky phyllo, cinnamon seasoned walnuts, and dripping honey make a stunning sundae. Maria Dudek of Liokareas Olive Oil brings a family recipe to the table! Photo by Dave Bryce for TABLE Magazine.

As part of TABLE’s Mother’s Day brunch shoot, Maria Dudek made her amazing Greek Baklava recipe. Growing up in a Greek family may have overexposed her to this memorable blend of honey, nuts, cinnamon and phyllo pastry… but for the rest of us, a pan of freshly made baklava is dazzling. As we watched her chop a piece or two of baklava to crumble over vanilla ice cream, the room went silent. Drizzles of honey and chocolate syrup, as well as a dollop of whipped creme completed the dish.

There were, shall we say, “discussions” over who would receive this first serving. You can resolve all of that tension by making the baklava yourself, and tasting it fresh out of the oven. You made it, so YOU get to decide who has the first taste!

Traditional wine recommendation: Ice Wine

Experimental pairing: Sekt (German sparkling wine)

Orange Baklava Sundae Recipe

Ingredients

Two boxes of Phyllo dough #4 (2 pounds)

3-4 sticks of butter

2 lbs walnuts ground

1 cup sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

Syrup

4 cups of water

5 cups of sugar

1 cup of Liokareas Greek Honey

½ lemon juice & rind

2 cinnamon sticks

*For Orange Baklava add: ½ orange and ½ cup of Liokareas Estate Orange EVOO to the syrup

Instructions

Let the phyllo dough thaw to room temperature. Open one box at a time, so that the dough doesn’t dry out.

Combine all syrup ingredients, including the fruit rind. Bring to a gentle boil for 10-15 minutes. Let the syrup then cool completely.

For the filling, grind nuts. Add the cinnamon and sugar. Set aside

Melt the butter in a measuring cup or sauce pan.

Start by brushing a thin layer of melted butter to the bottom of an 11x18 inch. Then begin to layer a sheet of phyllo and butter the entire sheet, one at a time. Continue until there are 6 sheets of phyllo dough remaining from the first pound of phyllo.

Spread about 1/3 of the walnut mixture across the phyllo evenly. Sprinkle the nut mixture lightly with melted butter, then add another layer of phyllo and brush that with butter like before. Add two more layers of phyllo the same way.

Add another 1/3 of the walnut mixture evenly. Sprinkle with melted butter and add 3 sheets of phyllo brushed with butter.

Add the last 1/3 of the walnut mixture. Layer and butter the second pound of phyllo dough. Then layer the top of your baklava generously.

Cut the baklava into 6x4 or 7x5 square pieces, depending on your desired size. Then cut each square diagonally to make triangles.

Bake at 325 degrees until golden brown, approximately 40 minutes. Once it is finished, leave the baklava out to cool. Next, remove the lemon rind from the syrup and slowly pour the syrup evenly onto the baklava to allow it to soak in. If possible, let the baklava soak overnight to really absorb the syrup. Enjoy!

To make the sundae

Place two scoops of vanilla ice cream in a bowl.

chop a piece or two of baklava and crumble over the ice cream.

Drizzle of honey and chocolate syrup on top.

Finish with a dollop of whipped creme and a maraschino cherry.

Story and Recipe by Maria Dudek / Photography by Dave Bryce / Styling by Keith Recker Wine Pairing by Camila Alarcón Cordón

To create a fantastic Mother’s Day meal for the special woman in your life, try TABLE Magazine’s menu suggestions:

Spring Pea Cocktail by Star LaLiberte

Deviled Eggs paired with a sparkling rosé by Camila Alarcón Cordón

Rainbow Carrot Tortellini by Nina Gleason

Pomegranate Molasses-Roasted Lamb Shoulder by Lisa Theuer

Baklava Sundae by Maria Dudek