# What is it about "baklava?



## mudbug (Dec 30, 1999)

It never ceases to amaze me how many people out there adore baklava. With ready made phyllo, it really isn't that hard to make. Are there other world renouned pastries that are as infamous? Does the cream puff count?


----------



## live_to_cook (Aug 23, 2000)

What about sandtarts (spelling?) the Scandanavian wafer-thin molded cookies made with four ingredients: sugar, butter, flour, lemon oil?


----------



## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

What is it about baklava? For me, it's the buttery phyllo. I love it, even above puff pastry. Once you know how to work with it, so many things open up- and they all look more complicated than they are.


----------



## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

For me it's the pistachios. Just seeing that a baklava has pistachio and I want it. Without pistachios they are not that appealing to me.


----------



## momoreg (Mar 4, 2000)

As yummy as it is, there are so many bad versions out there, mushy with no flavor. IMHO, don't bother making it if you're not going to use real butter.


----------



## live_to_cook (Aug 23, 2000)

You mean... there are people who make baklava with margarine? I suppose that would cure you of thoughts of a second piece...


----------



## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

Ugh, no margarine, please. Most contain some water, giving a pasty texture; and the taste is just not right. Okay, here's a guilty confession: When I was on an ultra-low fat kick, I actually made cocktail-sized tiropites using Weight Watchers Buttery Flavored Spray instead of butter. (I can hear you snickering... I deserve it!). The phyllo turned out like dried up, yellow-colored stuff that looked like the dog was impolite on it. I threw out the batch, got myself to the store, and made a proper batch of tiropites. Lesson learned: For phyllo, it's unthinkable to use anything but butter!


----------



## momoreg (Mar 4, 2000)

Wow, Nanna, I just noticed you're from Iceland. What kind of desserts are popular there? I know nothing about the foods of Iceland.


----------



## nick.shu (Jul 18, 2000)

personally, i dont think that shortcuts work - i personally (whenever i can) shirk commercially made stuff - a good example is ice cream - if you use carrageenan or any other additives, it shows - how many ice creams do you get dont even have the yellow egg yolk coloring?

even down to puff pastry, you can generally tell if its the false stuff - no yellow - using a shortening. Dont try to fool a chef, it doenst work.


----------



## mezzaluna (Aug 29, 2000)

Whoops, Nanna's right- my kitchen Greek slipped. The little ones (up to turnover size) are tiropitakia ('little' cheese pies), and the big one is simply tiropita (cheese pie). From Eeyore's first description, I almost thought it was galactoboureko (custard/phyllo pie).

[This message has been edited by Mezzaluna (edited 12-20-2000).]


----------

