"phyllo" news and stories

Have leftover phyllo dough from making spanakopita? Make these great phyllo twists -- sweet or savory.

Ah, baklava -- the unctuous dessert enveloping honey and nuts in buttery layers of phyllo dough. Happy National Baklava Day!

The European-Middle Eastern delicacy actually has quite an impressive history. Dating back to the 8th Century B.C., the Assyrians used to pile nuts into thin layers of dough and top the whole thing with honey before baking it. The treat was considered a luxury, enjoyed predominantly on special occasions, and affordable only to the wealthy.

It has since come a long way, traveling to the Near East, Turkey and Armenia over time, then finally to Greece with the rise of the Grecian empire -- and the rich, buttery cinnamon-walnut treat has today made it over to the Food Network, with a fabulous classic recipe by Alton Brown. If you're feeling adventurous, try a shot at more Americanized versions of the versatile international dessert with Pear Baklava or even Chocolate Baklava.

Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool to get a shot at having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.

• Eric Vellend outlines the paper-thin and delicious art of phyllo pastries.
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• A guide to winter farmers' markets in Toronto, like the delicious Saturdays at Wychwood Barns.
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• Recipes: Zaalouk, Jamaican Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, Roasted Squash with Garlic Soup with Red Pepper Drizzle, and Buttermilk Pop (one of the Depression recipes)

We're a little behind on our a Cookie-a-Day, but we'll try to catch up before the end of the year. We have to! Starting on January 1, all of us will be forgoing cookies, candy, doughnuts, and cake, as per our New Year's Resolutions, right?

Right.

So until then, let's cut into a giant pan of baklava, which you might not consider a cookie -- rather a dessert pastry -- but hey, if we're calling brownies "cookies" because they're "bar cookies," we count baklava, too. Basically, baklava is layers of phyllo dough filled with chopped nuts, usually walnuts or pistachios. The layers are prepared in a large pan, drizzled with honey or other sweet, spiced syrup, then cut into bars or other shapes.

Yes, we know the baklava pictured above isn't as beautiful as the ones you'll see in Mediterranean or Middle Eastern restaurants, or out of the home kitchen of your favorite Greek aunt. However, it was a good attempt at working with phyllo dough, which is tricky because it's so thin and fragile.

From looking at this scrumptious Cherry & Lemon Cream Cheese Tartlet from Lex Culinaria, you would never guess that it qualifies as a "light" dessert. The first trick employed in lightening the recipe was changing the crust. The tart crust is made from crunchy baked phyllo dough instead of a richer, more fattening shortcrust pastry. The smooth, creamy filling uses a low fat cream cheese and, of course, the beautiful fresh cherries topping the tarts off are full of vitamins and antioxidants. In this dessert, there is a great combination of flavors and textures. I already want to try the recipe - but there are so many other "light" applications for this kind of tart shell that I don't think it'll be the only time that I use the trick this summer.

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