I’ve got a delicious new recipe for your super sweet tooth!
Easy Baklava Cups!
Annnnd my mini dessert obsession continues.
I have been soooo excited to share these with you. Not only because I’m a total mini dessert-lover, but because these are so easy and quick! They taste exactly like traditional baklava, but don’t require hours of your time in the kitchen. They are a pleasure to create and so much prettier 😉
So here’s how this all goes down. Get some store-bought phyllo shells, make a honey syrup (takes less than 10 mins), fill the shells with the nut mixture, bake and drizzle with more syrup!
And just like that, you have baklava that tastes just like the real thing! The crispy dough pairs perfectly with the toasted nuts and sweet syrup.
A total winner.
You can use any combination of nuts you like. I decided on almonds, pistachios, pecans and walnuts, and let me tell you, the combo was AMAZING, and so beautiful. I decided to roughly chop the nuts, so my guests know what they’re eating, but you can finely chop them for a more traditional version as well.
I flavored the honey syrup with some cinnamon and orange blossom water (which is tradionally used in baklava). You can substitute the OBW with orange zest, but if you can find it, its floral flavor is irreplaceable. You can find orange blossom water in any middle eastern market. I buy mine from a market in Brooklyn.
The presentation:
I placed my cups on a white platter for an elegant look, and the addition of the pomegranate arils made them really pop! The best part? These phyllo cups are store-bought (which means little work for us, yay!) and are beautiful, making anything you fill them with look super professional!
Phyllo cups for the win!
Making Ahead:
These can be made up to one day ahead. Any longer than that, and they might start to get soggy. Simply store them in an air tight container and refrigerate overnight.
I love these for fall, but you can make them for any season. Just swap out the pomegranates for drizzled chocolate in the winter, or a mini scoop of ice cream for summer 🙂
I highly recommend making these. Because you guys! These are so easy. And SO good.
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup chopped mixed nuts (I used pistachios, pecans, almonds and walnuts)
- 1 box mini phyllo shells (15 shells)
- 1 teaspoon orange blossom water OR 2 teaspoons orange zest
- Pomegranate arils, for garnish
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stir the sugar, honey, water, lemon juice and cinnamon, until the sugar has dissolved. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 7-8 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
- Place the nuts in a large bowl and mix with half of the cooled syrup until completely coated.
- Place the phyllo shells on the prepared baking sheet. Fill each shell with 1 teaspoon of the nut filling.
- Bake for ten minutes, or until the shells become golden brown in color.
- With the remaining syrup, add the orange blossom water or zest. Mix until combined.
- Remove the shells from the oven and immediately pour the rest of the syrup over each shell. Allow to cool, sprinkle with pomegranate arils and serve.
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