Pistachio Chocolate Baklava – “Choclava”

Iconic, flakey and buttery Pistachio and Walnut Baklava studded with Valrhona 70% Guanaja Chocolate, soaked in a honey clove syrup – this is Pistachio Chocolate Baklava – “choclava”

*This post is sponsored by Valrhona USA. As always, all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting Lion’s Bread.

What is Baklava?

Baklava is a dessert or pastry made of many sheets of phyllo pastry, then traditionally filled with chopped nuts and spices and soaked in a rich honey syrup. I’ve added some incredible Valrhona chocolate to this classic, and now I call it Choclava, and you can too!

Want more delicious desserts?

Check out:

Fresh Strawberry Shortcakes with Yogurt Cream

Apple Cider Churros

Dark Chocolate Bark with Cherries, Pistachios, Apricots, and Pink Salt

The Origin of Baklava

The flakey sweet pastry is widely popular in Greek, Turkey, and the Middle East.

Many different cultures and ethnic groups claim Baklava to be “theirs,” although the history of baklava is not well-documented. The word “baklava” entered English from Turkish, although the dish is often thought to be of Greek origin. The best evidence is that it is of Central Asian Turkic origin. Although there are still scholars that believe baklava is a product of Persia. The earliest written record of Persian baklava appears in a 13th-century cookbook that was based on 9th-century Persian recipes.

Ingredients

phyllo dough – found in the freezer section of your grocery store! make sure to thaw your phyllo pastry in the fridge overnight. While I’m layering my Pistachio and Chocolate Baklava, I like to keep mine covered by a clean damp kitchen towel so that the dough doesn’t dry out.

unsalted butter – melted butter is the back bone of this recipe, so I use high quality grass-fed European butter that has a high fat content and better flavor th an the American counterparts.

Valrhona 70% Guanaja Feves – This semi-sweet dark chocolate from Valrhona is an absolute dream. It is perfectly sweet and bitter, and has beautiful nutty and fruity notes that pair so well with the floral flavors of the honey syrup, and the chopped pistachios and walnuts.

pistachios – I use lightly roasted, unsalted shelled pistachios but you absolutely use raw pistachios if you like.

walnuts – use lightly, unsalted roasted walnuts, and chop them the same size as the pistachios and chocolate for the perfect bite.

honey – I like to use a lighter golden honey like alfalfa, clover or buckwheat honey for this baklava syrup. The milder flavor marries perfectly with the Valrhona chocolate and chopped nuts, and spices.

kosher salt – I always a generous amount of kosher salt when I make baklava to counteract the sweetness of the pastry. The salt doesn’t make the dessert “salty” – it simply enhances the prominent flavors even more. Great bakers always salt their desserts!

ingredients

How to cut Baklava

Here’s the secret to cutting sharp angles on your baklava like a pro: cut the baklava before it bakes!

With the long edge of the baking tray facing you, use a sharp chef’s knife the slice the layered dessert into 4 equal rectangles.

Then slice down the middle of each of those sections. Next, starting in the corner, slice across the baking sheet diagonally to create diamond shapes. Voila!

how to make baklava – layering phyllo dough

how to cut baklava

How to Store

The best way to store baklava is in an airtight container at room temperature. It will last at room temperature for up to 4 days because the honey syrup acts a natural preservative.

Pro Baking Tips

• Even if you think your pistachio and chocolate baklava is done, bake it for another 5 minutes to ensure that the layers of phyllo are nice and golden brown and flakey.
• Pace yourself when brushing the melted butter between the layers. You don’t want to add too much to make the layers soggy.
• Pour the honey syrup on the baked baklava when it’s super hot from the oven. You should hear an audible sizzle as you pour. This helps the pastry absorb the syrup even better.
• Let your baklava rest for at least 1 – 12 hours before serving. The flavors will be more pronounced, and the texture of the phyllo is flakier once it has absorbed the syrup.
• Chop all of your nuts and chocolate about the same size, so you get a uniform bite.

Make sure to tag me @lions.bread on Instagram and comment below if you make this Pistachio and Chocolate Baklava.  I love seeing my recipes come to life in your kitchens! To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card or on any of the photos above. 

Did you make this incredible Pistachio Chocolate Baklava – “choclava”? please rate the recipe and leave a comment below!

Print

Pistachio and Chocolate Baklava

Course Dessert

Cuisine middle eastern

Keyword baklava, choclava, pistachio

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Resting Time 1 hour

Servings 24 pieces

Author LeAnne Shor

Ingredients

Baklava and Nut Filling

• 7 oz shelled pistachios coarsely chopped, 1 ½ cups
• 5 oz walnuts coarsely chopped, 1 cup
• 5 oz. Valrhona Guanaja chocolate feves coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 16 oz package phyllo dough thawed, 1 package
• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, 213 g

Honey Syrup:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 cup honey
• 3 whole cloves
• 1/2 lemon juiced

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Prepare the Honey Syrup: Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Add the honey, and whole cloves; stir to mix. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and let simmer for about 25 minutes. Remove syrup from heat and let cool to lukewarm. Add lemon juice. Remove the whole cloves.

3. Make the Nut Mixture: In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade, add the pistachios, walnut, and hazelnuts. Pulse a few times to chop. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add sugar, chopped chocolate, cinnamon, and ground cloves. Mix well to combine.

4. Prepare the Phyllo Pastry: Unroll the thawed phyllo pastry and place the sheets in between two clean kitchen towels. This will help keep the phyllo from breaking while you work.
5. Assemble the Baklava: Prepare a 9” x 13” x 2” baking pan. Brush the interior of the baking pan with some of the melted butter. To assemble the baklava, take one sheet of phyllo and place it in the pan, fold the sheet in half if you need to make it fit. Brush the top of the phyllo sheet with the melted butter.
6. Repeat this process a few more times until you have used up about 1/3 of the phyllo pastry, each layer being brushed with the melted butter.
7. Now, distribute about ½ of the nut mixture evenly over the top layer of phyllo.
8. Continue assembling the baklava, one sheet of phyllo pastry at a time using another 1/3 of the phyllo. Again, brush each layer with a bit of the melted butter.
9. Distribute the remaining ½ of the nut mixture evenly over the top layer of phyllo.
10. Finish the remaining 1/3 of the phyllo pastry following the same process, laying one folded sheet at a time and brushing each layer with melted butter. Brush the very top sheet of phyllo with butter.
11. Cut the Baklava Pastry Into Pieces: Using a sharp knife, cut the pastry into 24 diamond shaped pieces (you can get up to 36 smaller pieces).
12. Place the baking dish on the middle rack of your heated oven. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the top layer of the baklava turns deeply golden brown.
13. As soon as you remove the baklava from the oven, pour the cooled syrup all over the hot baklava. Cool Completely: Allow the baklava to sit for a t least 1 hour before serving. Cut the baklava into pieces using the marked cuts as a guide. Top each piece with chopped pistachios as a garnish.

The post Chocolate Pistachio Baklava first appeared on Lion’s Bread Blog.

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