Are you a big fan of Baklava but can’t have a dessert without chocolate? Then you’ll love this recipe! This Chocolate Baklava is the perfect combination of the traditional dessert with chocolate for a dish that will cover all of your favorites in one!
What is Chocolate Baklava?
Chocolate baklava is a delicious twist on the traditional baklava dessert. It is made with layers of flaky phyllo dough, filled with a rich chocolate filling and topped with a chocolate glaze.
While the basic ingredients are the same as traditional baklava, the addition of chocolate makes it a truly unique treat. The chocolate filling adds a richness and depth of flavor that is simply divine, and the chocolate syrup gives the dessert a beautiful shine.
Whether you are looking for something new to try or you are simply a chocoholic, chocolate baklava is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.
One for chocolate lovers: perfectly adapted from the traditional recipe
Easy to make: the recipe uses filo pastry sheets so it is simple to create
Ingredients from the cupboard: the basics for the recipe are normal store cupboard ingredients
Chocolate Baklava Key Ingredients
For the Chocolate Baklava: You’ll need the usual mixed nuts, ground cinnamon, cloves and unsalted butter with the sheets of filo pastry. The best chocolate I have found is 70% dark chocolate.
For the syrup: Sugar and water with orange zest and a cinnamon stick form the basics with lemon juice, runny honey and optional hazelnut liquor to finish it.
Key Preparation Tips
Create the Chocolate Baklava
First, pre-heat your oven to 150 C or 300 F. Grab the food processor and process the nuts until they are fine. Chop the chocolate by hand into very small pieces then stir in a pinch of salt and the spices. Add this to the nut mixture.
In a small saucepan on medium heat, melt the butter. Use the butter to brush a 20cm square (8×8 inch) baking sheet. Layer one-third of the filo sheets into the bottom of the baking tray, brushing the pastry sheet with butter between each layer.
Spread one-half of the chocolate Baklava mixture on the top, add another one-third of the filo sheets and butter then add the rest of the filling and sheets. Brush the top with butter.
Use a very sharp knife to cut the Baklava into four equal pieces. Cut a bisecting line from the top corner of the pan to the bottom opposite corner. From this line, cut diagonal lines from the top of the cuts into the dividing lines, down to their opposite bottom corner. This should create an elongated diamond pattern.
Bake the chocolate Baklava in the oven for 1.5 hours until the pastry is golden and crispy.
Make the syrup
Combine the water, sugar, orange zest and cinnamon in a pan over high heat. Stir constantly until the sugar has dissolved.
Remove from the heat and leave to infuse until the mixture has reached room temperature. Stir in the lemon, honey and hazelnut liquor if you are using it.
Finish the dessert
Once the syrup is cold and the Baklava is hot, gradually pour the syrup over it. Allow it to soak into the cuts and don’t worry if it looks a bit flooded, it will settle as the dessert cools. Serve when it is at room temperature.
What nuts can you use in chocolate baklava?
When it comes to chocolate baklava, there are no hard and fast rules about what kind of nuts you should use. Any mixture of nuts including walnuts, pistachios, almonds or hazelnuts will work well.
Feel free to choose a variety of nuts that have different textures and flavors. This will give your baklava an added depth of flavor and make it more interesting to eat.
If you’re not sure which nuts to choose, ask your local grocery store or bakery for their recommendation. They should be able to help you pick out the perfect mix for your next batch of chocolate baklava.
How to stop filo pastry drying out when using it
One of the challenges of working with phyllo dough is that it dries out quickly, making it brittle and difficult to work with. If you’re not careful, you can easily end up with a dry, crumbly mess. There are, however, a few things you can do to prevent this from happening.
Firstly, make sure to keep the dough covered at all times while you’re working with it. A damp towel or piece of cling film will help to keep the dough moist.
Secondly, work quickly and efficiently to avoid allowing the dough to dry out. And finally, if you do notice the dough starting to dry out, you can lay a wet paper towel on top of it to help rehydrate it.
Making ahead of time and storing
None of the ingredients are particularly perishable, so you can store the Baklava in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 5 days. Just be aware that if the weather is very warm, the butter in the pastry might start to turn rancid after a couple of days, so it’s best to eat it within 2 days if it’s hot outside.
The pastry will also start to soften after a day or so, as it absorbs the moisture from the syrup, but this just makes it all the more delicious.
Can you freeze Chocolate Baklava?
To freeze, simply wrap the tin tightly in clingfilm and foil. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.
Always allow frozen or chilled baklava to come up to room temperature before enjoying it, as the flavors and texture are better when it’s not ice-cold.
Serving suggestions
You can enjoy this extra syrupy Chocolate baklava on its own and it is perfect! But if you want to try something different, some vanilla ice cream works nicely. You could even try some double (heavy) cream as this will mix with the syrup, although the pastry sometimes goes a little soft.
Similar recipes to try
If you love a traditional syrupy greek desert, the below recipes are made for you! Enjoy!
To prepare this delicious chocolate baklava start by preparing the filling. Blitz the nuts in a food processor until fine. Chop the dark chocolate into very small pieces by hand, and stir in the spices and a generous pinch of salt. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan set over a medium heat, melt the butter.
Brush a 20cm square (8×8 inch) baking dish with butter. Gradually layer 1/3 of the filo sheets in the bottom of the dish, generously sprinkling melted butter between each layer.
Spread 1/2 of the baklava mixture across the pastry, then continue layering another 1/3 of the filo sheets sprinkled with butter. Repeat until you have used all the filling and the filo, brushing the top layer with the remaining butter so it turns crisp and golden in the oven.
Using a very sharp knife, cut the chocolate baklava into 4 equal, parallel pieces. Then, cut a bisecting line from the top corner of the pan to the opposite corner at the bottom. Using this line as a guide, cut more parallel, diagonal lines from the top of the cuts in the original dividing lines down to their opposite number at the bottom. You should be left with an elongated diamond pattern.
Pre-heat the oven to 150C (300F). Bake the baklava for 1 1/2 hours until the pastry is crisp and golden.
Meanwhile, to make the syrup, combine the sugar, water, orange zest and the cinnamon stick and bring to the boil over a high heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat to cool and for the cinnamon stick to infuse; once it has reached room temperature, stir in the lemon juice, honey and hazelnut liquor, if using.
Gradually pour the cold syrup over the hot baklava, making sure to pay attention to the cuts and to allow it to properly soak in. Don’t worry if things look a little flooded, everything will come right as the dish cools to room temperature, when it will be ready to serve.
Let the chocolate baklava cool down completely and serve after the syrup has soaked through. Enjoy!
Keywords: chocolate baklava, baklava with chocolate recipe
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