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Countries throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean have not only laid claim to the creation of baklava but also to the precise recipe. Although you’ll find baklava featuring layers of thin, flaky pastry alternating with a mixture of syrup and nuts throughout those regions, you’ll also find that each country has its own unique variation. So, it’s no surprise that when the love for baklava spread to Western countries, bakers started putting their own spin on it. One such baker is Kat Buckley, influencer and author of “Bakes that Break the Internet,” who gives her baklava a fall flair with salted caramel and pecan. The content creator, who is based in Manchester, England, began baking after watching “The Great British Bake Off” and launched a blog to showcase her bakes.
Decadent salted caramel upgrades everything from whiskey sours to gooey white chocolate chip cookies, and Buckley’s Salted Caramel & Pecan Baklava is no different. “It’s a fabulous modern twist on the traditional flavors, and it’s incredibly tasty,” Buckley, who goes by the Baking Explorer on social media, shared with Chowhound exclusively. The syrup that gives baklava its traditional sweetness is usually made from sugar and water and, in some cases, honey, but she gives hers more of a salted caramel flavor with soft light brown sugar and maple syrup. The maple gives the baklava a richer, deeper flavor, with notes of vanilla, butterscotch, and caramel, compared to the lighter floral notes of honey. To balance the sweetness, Buckley adds salt to the syrup. She also sprinkles some coarse sea salt onto the baklava at the very end.
A few tips for a sweeter baklava experience
Even with traditional baklava, there are some variations, particularly when it comes to the nuts used for crunch and flavor. In Afghanistan and Turkey, baklava is often made with pistachios; in Greece, with walnuts; and in Cyprus, with walnuts and almonds. In some countries, the nuts are spiced with cinnamon and, in others, with cinnamon and cloves. Pecans tend to have a more buttery flavor with a lighter crunch than many other nuts, giving Kat Buckley’s version of the dessert a softer, warmer tone than the traditional versions. She also adds a touch of nutmeg along with cinnamon in her nut mixture, giving it an autumnal feel.
People shy away from making baklava at home for several reasons. Phyllo dough can be difficult to work with. Although it is available ready-made and frozen, there is a proper way to freeze and defrost phyllo dough. Buckley offers some tips of her own. “Always make sure to cut your baklava before baking it, and when it comes to adding the syrup, stick to the ‘hot-cold’ principle,” she says. “Either pour hot syrup over cooked and cooled baklava, or pour cold syrup over hot baklava.” Making sure that one of the two is warm, while the other has cooled, will allow the baklava to absorb the syrup without it getting soggy.
Although baklava is traditionally enjoyed during holidays and festivals, people all around the world enjoy it at any time of the year. Still, Buckley’s version might be best enjoyed just as the leaves are falling and pumpkins start appearing on stoops and porches.
