Bakla-Whaaaa?

Yes. You see Monday's are always better when I get amazing ideas over the weekend. These ideas most often involve creative ingredient combo's that even your mother wouldn't think of. Okay, maybe I shouldn't be talking about your mother...you get the picture, right? Sorry about that. So, it all started with a little trip to World Market. I didn't even know why I went for the THIRD time in a week! Maybe it was to gaze at the rows upon rows of shelves stocked with a slew of Easter goodies. I swear, those little Peeps get me every time! Funny thing is...I don't even like to eat them...I just love to look at them...or maybe put them in the microwave and watch them blow up! I know I am so ridiculously grown-up it's insane! 

Walking aimlessly through the cookie aisle, I saw a package of Biscoff cookies glaring right at me. I thought, damn those would go so well with my espresso in the morning. I snatched them up and not a second later, I saw the Biscoff cookie spread. I have told myself numerous times that I am not, will not, today, tomorrow, yesterday ,or EVER, give-in to what has become the cookie butter obsession among the food blogging world...or just the foodie world...or hell, the general world. Who am I fooling? 

I threw that crap in my basket before the clerk could ask me if I was interested in a pint of Biscoff ice cream! Okay, there is no such thing as Biscoff ice cream (not that I know of), but wait, maybe I should propose this to the company. Yes! Anyway, I have always wanted to make Baklava and channel my inner Greek Ya-Ya. I swear, I have to be at least 1% Greek. I had originally set out to make Baklava, but then I got an idea...Baklava, Biscoff cookies, Biscoff butter...o my GAWWWD! Yes, people. It totally happened. 

With three sticks of melted butter.

Hold on now while I explain the process of Baklava...don't be scared. 

You basically take some thawed phyllo dough and baste it will some butter.

Use that butter liberally!

Then you start layering other yummy things. In this case...Biscoff cookie spread

oh, oh...then a Biscoff cookie mixture.

When you are finished with the layering shenanigans (brushing each layer with butter!), refrigerate, and cut the baklava into a fancy pattern.

Looks something like this:

Let the oven work it's magic from here.

Be prepared 

to eat Biscoff Baklava for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Just look at those gorgeous flaky layers of phyllo dough and buttery, brown sugar-y, Biscoff cookies.

Somewhere in the process a homemade simple syrup gets drizzled over the entire thing.

Crumble extra Biscoff cookie mixture over the top.

Now, somebody hand me a carrot!

Here is a simplified version of the layering process (just to put things in perspective for you): butter bottom of the baking dish, then 8 sheets of phyllo-1 layer of Biscoff cookie butter-1 layer of Biscoff cookie mixture-4 sheets of phyllo-1 layer of Biscoff cookie butter-1 layer of Biscoff cookie mixture-4 sheets of phyllo dough-1 layer of Biscoff cookie butter-1 layer of Biscoff cookie mixture-4 sheets of phyllo-1 layer of Biscoff cookie butter-1 layer of Biscoff cookie mixture-8 sheets of phyllo. Brush EVERY SINGLE LAYER WITH BUTTER!

Biscoff Baklava (instructions for making baklava from How Sweet It is):


Ingredients:

For the Baklava:
3 sticks of unsalted butter, melted
1 8.8 oz package of Biscoff cookies
3/4 c. packed dark brown sugar
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. ground cloves
1 14 oz. jar of Biscoff spread
1 pound of phyllo dough

For the Agave Simple Syrup:

1 1/2 c. water

1 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. agave nectar (or honey)

1 T. pure vanilla extract

1 cinnamon stick

Instructions:

For the baklava:

1. Thaw phyllo dough according to directions on package (I thawed mine in the refrigerator overnight so they were ready to use, then covered them with a damp towel as I used them in the layering process), then unroll.

2. In a heat-proof bowl, melt the butter in the microwave, using 30 second intervals. Set aside.
3. Place the Biscoff cookies in a large Ziploc bag, close, and using a rolling pin, or another heavy object, beat the cookies until they are crumbled into fine pieces (You can also use a food processor to pulse the cookies into a fine mixture).
4. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves to the cookie mixture and combine (by shaking the bag a little bit, or just using your hand to mix all the ingredients together).
5. In a heat-proof bowl, melt the Biscoff spread for 30 seconds in the microwave. You want the spread to be smooth and silky enough to spread easily onto the phyllo layers.
6. Use a pastry brush to butter the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
7. Layer 8 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each layer with the melted butter. Be patient and gentle with the dough, if it begins to rip, just try to polish it into place...the butter will help do that.
8. After layer 8, spread a thin layer of Biscoff spread evenly over the dough.
9. Top the layer of Biscoff spread with the Biscoff cookie mixture, making sure to distribute evenly over the dough.
10. After this first layering process, then 4 layers of phyllo, each sheet brushed with butter, repeat the Biscoff spread and Biscoff cookie mixture process.
11. Repeat this process twice more: 4 layers of phyllo, 1 layer of Biscoff spread, 1 layer of Biscoff cookie mixture.
12. After that layer, add 8 sheets of phyllo on top, just like you did in the beginning, brushing each layer with melted butter.
13. If there is any butter left, pour it over the top.
14. Stick the whole pan in the fridge, preheat the oven to 350 F. Remove baklava from the fridge and using a sharp knife, cut as desired. I set my pan down horizontally, them made 8 vertical cuts from left to right. Then, I started in a corner and cut diagonals.
15. Once cut, place pan in the oven and bake for 40 minutes (if the top of the baklava starts to get brown, tent it with aluminum foil).
16. When finished baking, gently cut out a corner piece and tilt the pan to drain the excess butter.
17. While the baklava is hot, evenly pour the syrup over top.
18. Ideally, let the baklava set overnight (cover with aluminum foil once cool) before cutting and serving. Optional: sprinkle extra cookie mixture on top before serving.

This last step did not happen. I barely made it to hour four, then cut into the baby and served it up! Refrigerate the rest!

For the agave simple syrup:
1. Combine all ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat and let simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and cool completely.

4. Remove cinnamon stick before drizzling.

Makes one 9x13 pan (about 40-50 pieces depending on how you cut it)


MANGIA!!!