Hercules was one of my favorite movies as a kid. The SNES game rocked too. Get out your dumbbells, cuz we’re going from Zero to Hero with the food from Disney’s Hercules!
Make sponge: Put 1 cup lukewarm water in a large mixing bowl.
Add yeast and sugar.
Stir to dissolve.
Add the whole-wheat flour and 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and whisk together.
Put bowl in a warm (not hot) place, uncovered, until mixture is frothy and bubbling, about 15 minutes.
Add salt, olive oil and nearly all remaining all-purpose flour (reserve 1/2 cup).
With a wooden spoon or a pair of chopsticks, stir until mixture forms a shaggy mass.
Dust with a little reserved flour, then knead in bowl for 1 minute, incorporating any stray bits of dry dough.
Turn dough onto work surface. Knead lightly for 2 minutes, until smooth.
Cover and let rest 10 minutes, then knead again for 2 minutes. Try not to add too much reserved flour; the dough should be soft and a bit moist. (At this point, dough may refrigerated in a large zippered plastic bag for several hours or overnight. Bring dough back to room temperature, knead into a ball and proceed with recipe.)
Clean the mixing bowl and put dough back in it. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap, then cover with a towel. Put bowl in a warm (not hot) place. Leave until dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Heat oven to 475 degrees.
On bottom shelf of oven, place a heavy-duty baking sheet, large cast-iron pan or ceramic baking tile.
Punch down dough and divide into 8 pieces of equal size.
Form each piece into a little ball. Place dough balls on work surface, cover with a damp towel and leave for 10 minutes.
Remove 1 ball (keeping others covered) and press into a flat disc with rolling pin.
Roll to a 6-inch circle, then to an 8-inch diameter, about 1/8 inch thick, dusting with flour if necessary. (The dough will shrink a bit while baking.)
Carefully lift the dough circle and place quickly on hot baking sheet. After 2 minutes the dough should be nicely puffed. Turn over with tongs or spatula and bake 1 minute more.
The pita should be pale, with only a few brown speckles.
Transfer warm pita to a napkin-lined basket and cover so bread stays soft. Repeat with the rest of the dough balls.
Adapted from http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1016071-homemade-pita-bread?pagewanted=all
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Lime Herculade
I was really excited to make Herculade. I’ve never thought of making my own sports drink before. Herculade is first seen in the Zero to Hero song (that one was grape, later in the movie Panic was shown dumping a green Herculade on Hercules).
The Herculade I made actually tastes like a sports drink. A little more flavorful than Gatorade. I tried to use ingredients that they would have available in Ancient Greece. I used honey instead of sugar cane, because the Grecians didn’t have sugar cane back then. They had access to all the other ingredients, but I stretched a little with the calcium and baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) because they wouldn’t have used those in foods, but still had them available.
Put all the grapes in a pot and mash with a masher.
Bring the grapes to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium and let simmer for about 10 minutes
Place a cheesecloth tightly over a bowl and dump the grape contents onto the cheesecloth
Let sit for an hour or two
Fold the cheesecloth over the remaining pulp and squeeze the remains out
Boil the water and put the peel of 1 apple in. Boil for 5-7 minutes.
Combine the apple tea, grape juice and the rest of the ingredients.
Stir/whisk/shake well
Chill in fridge until cold
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Hercola
After Hades blows up at Pain and Panic, Panic is seen drinking a Hercola.
So, here’s the thing with this. I had to order some Arabic gum and special champagne yeast from Amazon. But the order was delayed so I wasn’t able to make this before the time of this post. Here’s the recipe I would have used though.
Combine the water, lemon zest, lime zest, orange zest, cinnamon, bitter orange peel, coriander seed, nutmeg, and gum arabic (if using) in a large saucepan. Whisk together until the gum arabic dissolves. Stir in the sugar and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Boil for 1 minute.
Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon, lime, and orange juices, along with the browning sauce and vanilla. Let cool, then strain.
This syrup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
To Brew
Combine the water and syrup in a large container. Test the temperature; the mixture should be at a warm room temperature, from 75 to 80°F. (If it is too hot, let it sit until it cools a bit. If it is too cold, warm it over low heat.) Add the yeast and stir until it is completely dissolved.
Pour the mixture into sanitized plastic bottles using a sanitized kitchen funnel, leaving 1 1/4 inches of air space at the top of each bottle. Seal the bottles. Store for 2 to 4 days at room temperature. When the bottles feel rock hard, the soda is fully carbonated.
Refrigerate for at least 1 week before serving; drink within 3 weeks to avoid overcarbonation.
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Will it Turn you From Zero to Hero?
The pita bread was awesome, as was the lime herculade. The grape Herculade was kinda disgusting, and I didn’t get a chance to make the Hercola yet 🙁
You’ll never have a meal like this. This is week 2/2 of Aladdin. This will cover some of Friend like Me and the rest of the movie.
We have some more great Arabic food and also some non-arabic food brought to you by the genie.
Cheesecake
Try some of column A. The genie creates a bunch of food on this rising column.
(Credit: Disney)
There are a few different foods, on this. Some chicken, which you can see the recipe in our previous post. Theres also a pineapple, a celery, a mellon, some rolls (which are addressed later in this post), some mush (which is covered next) and some cheesecake. I love cheesecake, so I was happy to jump in on this recipe
2 cups (475 ml) of Graham cracker crumbs (from a little less than 2 packages Graham crackers
2 Tbsp sugar
Pinch salt
5 Tbsp (70 g) unsalted butter (if using salted butter, omit the pinch of salt), melted
Filling
2 pounds cream cheese (900 g), room temperature
1 1/3 cup granulated sugar (270 g)
Pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream (160 ml)
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream (160 ml)
Toppings
2 cups sour cream (475 ml)
1/3 cup powdered sugar (35 g)
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 ounces (340 g) fresh raspberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 g)
1/2 cup water (120 ml)
Special equipment needed
9-inch, 2 3/4-inch high springform pan
Heavy-duty, 18-inch wide aluminum foil
A large, high-sided roasting pan
Instructions
Prepare the springform pan so that no water leaks into it while cooking.
Place a large 18-inch by 18-inch square of heavy duty aluminum foil on a flat surface.
Place the springform pan in the middle of the foil.
Gently fold up the sides of the foil around the pan.
Make sure to do this gently so that you don't create any holes in the foil.
If there are any holes, water will get into the pan and ruin the crust.
Press the foil around the edges of the pan.
Place a second large square of foil underneath the pan, and repeat, gently folding up the sides of the foil around the pan and pressing the foil against the pan.
To be triply safe, repeat with a third layer of heavy duty foil.
Gently crimp the top of the foil sheets around the top edge of the pan.
Preheat oven to 350°F, with rack in lower third of oven.
Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor or blender until finely ground. (Or use pre-crushed graham cracker crumbs)
Put in a large bowl, and stir in the sugar and salt.
Use your (clean) hands to stir in the melted butter.
Put all but 1/4 cup of the graham cracker crumbs in the bottom of the springform pan. (Save the remaining 1/4 cup for if you happen to have any holes that need to be filled in, either while you are making the crust, or after the cake has cooked and you've unmolded it.)
Gently press down on the crumbs using your fingers, until the crumbs are a nice even layer at the bottom of the pan, with maybe just a slight rise along the inside edges of the pan.
Be careful as you do this, as not to tear the aluminum foil.
Place in the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
Make the filling
Cut the cream cheese into chunks and place in the bowl of an electric mixer, with the paddle attachment. (We softened the cream cheese in the microwave at a low setting, stirring every 45 seconds)
Mix on medium speed for 4 minutes until smooth, soft and creamy.
Add the sugar, beat for 4 minutes more.
Add the salt and vanilla, beating after each addition.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition.
Add the sour cream, beat until incorporated.
Add the heavy cream, beat until incorporated.
Remember to scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl, and scrape up any thicker bits of cream cheese that have stuck to the bottom of the mixer that paddle attachment has failed to incorporate.
Cook the cheesecake
Place the foil-wrapped springform pan in a large, high-sided roasting pan. (We didn't have a pan that big so we used a cookie sheet and a lot of aluminum foil to make walls)
Prepare 2 quarts of boiling water.
Pour the cream cheese filling into the springform pan, over the graham cracker bottom layer.
Smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
Place the roasting pan with the springform pan in it, in the oven, on the lower rack.
Carefully pour the hot water into the roasting pan (without touching the hot oven), to create a water bath for the cheesecake, pouring until the water reaches halfway up the side of the springform pan, about 1 1/4 inches. (Alternatively you can add the water before putting the pan in the oven, whichever is easier for you.)
Cook at 325°F for 1 1/2 hours.
Turn off the heat of the oven.
Crack open the oven door 1-inch, and let the cake cool in the oven, as the oven cools, for another hour.
This gentle cooling will help prevent the cheesecake surface from cracking.
Cover the top of the cheesecake with foil, so that it doesn't actually touch the cheesecake.
Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours, or overnight.
Prepare sour cream topping
Place sour cream in a medium sized bowl, stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla, until smooth.
Chill until you are ready to serve the cake.
Note that this recipe produces enough sour cream topping for a thick topping and some extra to spoon over individual pieces of cheesecake, if desired. If you would like a thinner layer of topping and no extra, reduce the sour cream topping ingredients in half.
Prepare the raspberry sauce
Place raspberries, sugar, and water in a small saucepan.
Use a potato masher to mash the raspberries.
Heat on medium, whisking, about 5 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken.
Remove from heat. Let cool.
Prepare the cake to serve
Remove the cake from the refrigerator.
Remove the foil from the sides of the pan, and place the cake on your cake serving dish.
Run the side of a blunt knife between the edge of the cake and the pan.
You can use a hair dryer to heat the sides of the pan to make it easier to remove.
Open the springform latch and gently open the pan and lift up the sides.
Spread the top with the sour cream mixture.
Serve plain or drizzled with raspberry sauce.
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Ful
On that picture, you see some brown mush behind Aladdin. It probably wasn’t meant to be any food. But I looked online for some Persian/Arabic food that looked similar. I found a breakfast food called Ful. Our recipe turned out whiter than it should have because we used lima beans. We couldn’t find Fava beans.
1 can fava (or lima) beans, drained, liquid reserved
1/4 c. onion, finely minced
2 cl. garlic, minced
2 – 4 (depending on size and heat level) tabasco or pepperoncini peppers, minced
1/4 c. parsley, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon to taste
Olive oil
additional minced parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, mix together the fava beans, onion, garlic, peppers, about 2 – 3 tablespoons of the reserved liquid from the beans, and a pinch of salt & pepper.
Heat the mixture slowly, stirring occasionally.
Cook about 20 minutes.
Add more liquid if the beans become too dry.
Once the mixture is cooked, taste it for seasoning and some lemon to taste.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and mash the beans, leaving some texture.
Place the ful on a plate, drizzle over some olive oil and additional parsley.
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Chicken ala King
The next three recipes come from Genie’s own cookbook when he’s trying to find the recipe to make Aladdin a prince.
The first recipe is Chicken Ala King.
(Credit: Disney)
Chicken ala king is actually really good. I’m not a HUGE fan of mushrooms, but they totally work in this recipe.
1 (4.5 ounce) can mushrooms, drained, liquid reserved
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/4 cups hot water
4 boneless chicken breast halves, chopped
4 ounces chopped pimento
Instructions
Heat oil in a large pan. Cook the chicken until fully cooked. Set aside.
Drain the pan and melt butter in the pan.
Cook and stir drained mushrooms and green pepper in butter or margarine over medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Blend in flour, salt, and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly. Remove from heat.
Stir in instant bouillon, milk, water, and reserved mushroom liquid. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for 1 minute.
Stir in chicken and pimiento. Heat through.
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Sabastian King Crab
Alaskan King Crab is the second royal recipe thrown out by Genie. It features a cameo appearance by Sebastian from the Little Mermaid
(Credit: Disney)
We had a previous (bad) experience with crab when we were making food from the Little Mermaid. So we decided to go the easy route this time and just get frozen king crab legs.
1⁄2 head garlic, about 5 garlic cloves, minced pressed
1⁄2 lemon, juice of
1⁄2lime, juice of
1⁄8 cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt (optional)
dried parsley (optional)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
On med low heat, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the garlic and LIGHTLY saute.
Squeeze in the juice of the citrus of choice.
Turn the heat to low and let those flavors mesh until the oven is nice and hot.
Toss in as much salt (to taste) and a couple pinches of parsley.
Then whisk in that olive oil with a fork. Remove from heat.
Arrange your tasty crustaceans in a 9x13 baking dish, brushing each leg with the sauce.
Pour any remaining sauce over the legs.
Now toss the pan into the oven on the center rack.
Bake your crabs for about 25 minutes or so (depending on how thick the legs you have are), brushing the sauce from the bottom of the pan onto the legs every 5-7 minutes.
Remove from oven.
Sprinkle with a few pinches o' parsley for garnish.
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Et Tu Brute Caesar Salad
I never go the joke that went along with this recipe until recently. The hand comes out of the book.
(Credit: Disney)
And Genie says “Et Tu Brute?” referring to Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar.
Caesar Salad is actually really easy. I don’t have a specific recipe, but a caesar salad consists of romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese, croutons, boiled egg, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and black pepper. You can add or subtract ingredients as you like.
Prince Ali Kabobs
There is some more food shown in the Prince Ali song (one of my favorites).
At the end it shows some lovely kabobs. They looked delicious.
(Credit: Disney)
I love kabobs. I found a recipe for a Persian style kabob.
1 teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water
1 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled, and crushed
2 tablespoons zest of orange
2 tablespoons yogurt
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1.5 lbs chicken (diced into 1.5 in pieces)
1.5 lbs lamb or beef (diced into 1.5 in pieces)(if using beef find the tenderest cut possible)
5 medium tomatoes, halved
3 Green bell peppers
6 flat, swordlike skewers
For the baste
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the meat
In a large bowl, combine half the saffron water and the lime juice, olive oil, onions, garlic, orange zest, yogurt, salt, and pepper.
Beat well with a fork.
Add the pieces of meat and toss well with marinade. Cover and marinate for at least 8 hours and up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
Turn the meat twice during this period.
Start a bed of charcoal 30 minutes before you want to cook and let it burn until the coals glow evenly. Or preheat an oven to 450F
Skewer the meats and veggies in an alternating pattern (use the tomatoes, chopped bell peppers and the onions that were in the marinade)
For the baste
Add the juice of 1 lime and the remaining saffron water to the melted butter. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Mix well and set aside.
Paint the tomato and chicken with the basting mixture.
Grill the meat and tomatoes 8 to 15 minutes, until done. Turn frequently and baste occasionally.
If using the oven, place skewers on a cookie sheet.
Cook for 10 minutes, turn the skewers over and cook for 10-15 minutes more.
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Persian Rolls
Right after the kabobs, bakers with rolls pop up.
(Credit: Disney)
There are actually rolls shown a few times throughout the movie, I’m just lumping it all into one recipe. This is based on a Persian flat bread. They are the best rolls I have ever made. They were insanely delicious.
Dissolve the yeast in 50ml warm water, stir vigorously and then leave it to sit for a few minutes until fully dissolved.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt and then make a well in the centre.
Pour in 450ml water, 50ml olive oil and the yeast and water mixture.
Combine using your hands until a smooth dough is formed.
If the dough is a bit too sticky, just add a little extra flour and if it is dry, add a splash of water.
On a clean floured surface, need the dough for 5 minutes to activate the yeast and stretch the gluten in the dough.
Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes before kneading it again for 2 minutes.
Repeat this process another 3 times and on the second kneading, incorporate the remaining 25ml olive oil.
Once the bread has been kneaded 3 times, return the dough into the mixing bowl, covering it with a dry tea towel and allowing it to rest somewhere warm for 3 hours.
Once the resting period is over, the dough will have tripled in size.
Elongate the dough ball gently by stretching it from both ends and then using a knife, cut the dough into half.
Form the dough into a roll shape.
Repeat this with the other half of the dough and place each one onto an oven tray lined with baking paper and using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, make 2 long lengthways incision in the centre of the dough, just 2-3 inches away from each end.
Finally cover each oven tray with clean tea towels and allow them to rise for a further 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220C fan/gas 6.
Once the loaves have risen again, brush with melted butter.
Bake each loaf in the oven for 16-18 minutes, until golden brown.
The best way to check if they are cooked through is to tap the bottom of the loaf, if it sounds hollow it is cooked.
Allow the bread to cool down for at least 30 minutes before serving.
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Will it Make you Strong as 10 Regular Men Definitely?
All the food was really good. Aladdin as a whole had some amazing food. It is one of my favorite movies as a whole.
It also really made me miss Robin Williams.
Verdict:
Cheesecake – 9.5/10
Ful – 6.5/10
Chicken ala King – 8/10
Alaskan King Crab – 8.5/10
Caesar Salad – 7/10
Kabobs – 7.5/10 (would be higher if I chose better beef, I chose cheap stuff that was tough)
Open up the cave of wonders and check out these diamond in the rough recipes! We’re splitting the movie again so over the next 2 weeks, you’ll get a double dose of Aladdin, which is in my Top 5 Disney movies. Get ready for some great Arabic recipes! Also, these two posts are in memory of the great Robin Williams. He was one of my very favorite actors and comedians. His presence has been missed.
(AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
French Fries in Agrabah?
The shop keeper at the beginning of the movie (who might secretly actually be the genie. Look it up) tries to sell us a all-in-one coffee maker and french fry maker.
(Credit: Disney)
I tried my hand at making some french fries. They turned out really good. My only wish was that they came out a bit crispier.
Peel and rinse the potatoes. Then cut them into sticks by cutting the potato in 4 or 5 vertical pieces, and then cutting each piece into sticks.
Place them in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Allow them to soak, 2 to 3 hours. (You can also stick them in the fridge and let them soak overnight.)
When you're ready to make the fries, drain off the water and lay the potatoes on 2 baking sheets lined with paper towels. Blot with paper towels to dry them.
Heat a few inches of oil in a heavy pot to 300 degrees F. In 3 or 4 batches, cook the potatoes until soft, 4 to 5 minutes per batch. They should not be brown at this point! You just want to start the cooking process. Remove each batch and drain on new/dry paper towels.
Once all the potatoes have been fried at 300 degrees F, turn up the heat until the oil reaches 400 degrees F. When the oil's hot, start frying the potatoes in batches again, cooking until the fries are golden and crisp. Remove the potatoes from the oil and drain on paper towels.
Sprinkle with sea salt and celery salt.
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That Delicious Looking Bread Aladdin Give Away
This might be one of the pivotal Disney food moments. The bread that Abu bites into always looked soooo delicious.
(Credit: Disney)
Then Aladdin, the good guy he is, gave away his half and Abu reluctantly followed.
I looked all over for an Arabic bread that resembled the one shown, but I couldn’t find any middle eastern bread recipes that were loafs like that. The closest I found was Taftoon (or taftan). The bread shown resembled french bread mostly, so I came up with a combination recipe that actually tasted really good. Kinda like a sweeter french bread.
Dissolve yeast in warm water and sugar in large bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes to allow yeast to proof or foam
Add salt, milk oil, yogurt, saffron, cardamom, and 3 cups flour; beat for 2 minutes.
Stir in 2 cups flour to make a stiff dough. Add more milk or flour if needed.
Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
Place in oiled bowl, turn dough to coat all sides, cover and let rise until doubled.
Punch down and divide in half.
Shape dough into two long slender loaves.
Grease and sprinkle with cornmeal either a french bread pan or large cookie sheet.
Place loaves in pan and cut diagonal gashes on top of each loaf.
Cover and let rise until doubled.
Brush with a mixture of 2 tbs Ghee (or butter) and 1 tbs milk
Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes.
Notes
To make ghee - http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/indian-clarified-butter-ghee-233032.
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Polly wants a Cracker
Iago hates the Sultan’s crackers.
(Credit: Disney)
He calls them moldy and disgusting.
I made some tasty crackers based on middle eastern lavash cracker bread. But I won’t be able to experience the disgusting crackers until I keep them in my pocket for a while until they start molding.
In a large bowl, stir together the water, whole wheat flour, and yeast until moistened.
Mix in the salt and 1 cup of all-purpose flour.
Gradually mix in the rest of the flour using a mixer with a dough hook attachment or wooden spoon.
When the dough comes together, knead in your mixer or on a floured surface for 8 to 10 minutes to make an elastic ball.
Add more flour or water if needed to keep dough from getting sticky or too stiff.
Pour a little bit of oil in the bowl and turn the dough to coat.
Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
Punch down the dough and divide into balls about the size of a grape.
Rolling the dough into a long log helps to divide it evenly.
Roll each piece into a ball and cover with a damp kitchen towel for 30 minutes to rest.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Place a baking sheet on the center rack of the oven so it can preheat at the same time. Do not grease.
Roll each ball into a circle about 8 inches across. The dough should be paper thin, almost translucent. If they are too thick, they will bubble up like pita breads.
Pull out the oven shelf and place as many crackers on your baking sheet as you can fit, 2 or 3. Close the oven and bake for about 3 minutes. The crackers should be lightly browned on the top with small bubbles.
You may have to adjust your thickness for the next batch.
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Maitre’d Chicken
During the Friend Like Me song, the genie presents Al with a beautiful roasted chicken (or maybe turkey)
(Credit: Disney)
And then in normal genie fashion, transforms himself INTO the chicken.
(Credit: Disney)
I came up with a good Persian chicken dish. It was super moist, but lacked flavor sadly.
In a small bowl, combine saffron with 1 tablespoon water and let soak 10 minutes.
Place in food processor with yogurt and garlic and purée until smooth and yellow.
Place chicken in glass or ceramic bowl; pour yogurt mixture on top, turn to coat; cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.
Heat oven to 350F
Remove chicken from bowl and place into a 9x13 pan lined with foil (or whatever size fits your chicken).
Discard the extra yogurt mixture
Sprinkle 2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tbs mint, salt and pepper over chicken
Put in oven and partially cover with aluminum foil
Mix the rest of the paprika and mint, plus some salt and pepper into the melted butter
Brush the chicken periodically (every 20 mins or so) with butter mixture.
Let cool for a few minutes after cooking
Notes
20 minutes of cook time per pound of chicken
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How ’bout a little more baklava?
The last recipe we’re doing is midway through Friend Like Me where the genie says “How bout a little more baklava” and then fills up the screen with baklava.
(Credit: Disney)
I didn’t make quite that much Baklava, especially because this was my first time trying to make baklava. I made it the Arabic way as opposed to the Greek way, using rose water syrup instead of honey to sweeten the baklava. If you need a recipe for rose water look here and for rose water syrup, look here.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.
Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.
Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and rose water syrup. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.
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Will it take you to a Whole New World?
Oh man, it was such a good cook this week. The Baklava was AMAZING. Everyone that tried it loved it. Sadly, the worst dish was the chicken. But it was still really good. The chicken was super moist, just not super flavorful. The bread was ALMOST as good as Abu made it look. And the french fries, mmm, I usually don’t love french fries, but those turned out great.
