Categories: ClassicDesserts & SweetsFavorites

Mini Paklava

15 years ago

Armenian recipe preparations tend to be time consuming. Never wanting to spend any more time in the kitchen than necessary, short-cuts had to be created for some of our family favorites. (My day job was as a High School Culinary teacher. I was in kitchens all day long!)

Without a doubt, the most popular Armenian dessert is Paklava (Baklava to non-Armenians). Flaky, buttery layers of Phyllo dough, with a center layer of chopped nuts & cinnamon, then drizzled with a simple syrup, Mmmmmmmmm!

Love it, but this takes too long, so here’s what I do…

Instead of using Phyllo dough sheets, I purchase bite-sized, pre-made Phyllo cups (15 count per box) in the freezer section of my local grocery store. What a time-saver! This works in other recipes, too.

Mini Paklava

This short cut method provides a bite-sized paklava with all the taste, but without the fuss!

Course Dessert

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings pieces

Ingredients

2 15-count pkgs. Phyllo cups Athens brand; found in the frozen food section of grocery store

Finning Ingredients

2 cups walnuts or pecans finely chopped
1½ tsp. cinnamon

Simple Syrup

2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Instructions

Making the Filling: Mix the chopped nuts and cinnamon together in a bowl and set aside until ready to use.
Making the Simple Syrup: In a small pot, combine the sugar & water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, stirring now and then, until sugar is dissolved and mixture begins to thicken a bit, coating the back of a spoon. Stir in lemon juice. Remove pot from heat. Cool until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Remove phyllo cups from packaging and place them on a baking sheet.
Put about one heaping teaspoon of nut filling in each cup.
Bake for 10-15 minutes.
Remove from oven. While still hot, drizzle a little of the cooled simple syrup over each cup.
Serve warm or at room temperature. (Note: for a neater presentation, place each phyllo cup in a mini cupcake paper liner.)