Baked-Apple Baklava

Makes 4 servings

Traditionally, baklava is a layered dessert with pastry, nuts, and syrup. In this recipe, I use store-bought puff pastry for the phyllo, simplifying the extensive process. Here, sweet Honeycrisp apples are sprinkled with spiced sugar, stuffed with honeyed nuts, and roasted to perfection, adding a fruity flourish to a classic dessert.

INGREDIENTS

For the apples:

¼ cup pecans
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
4 large Honeycrisp apples, cored
¼ cup butter, room temperature

For the baklava:

1¼ cups plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons butter, melted

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

To make the apples:

1. Combine pecans, sunflower seeds, honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl, mixing well.
2. Make 4 square sheets of aluminum foil, each large enough to wrap and cover one apple. Coat one side of each aluminum foil sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Individually place cored apples onto a foil sheet. Fill each core ¼ of the way with the nut and spice mixture and a tablespoon of butter.
4. Tightly wrap each apple in foil and arrange standing up on a cookie sheet. Bake for 30–40 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

To make the baklava:

1. Whisk together the yogurt, honey, and vanilla extract in a small bowl and refrigerate.
2. Lay the sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut into 12 triangles.
3. Whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a separate small bowl.
4. Brush each pastry triangle with melted butter and sprinkle with the spiced sugar mixture.
5. Transfer the pastry triangles onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Once the apples are finished baking, remove from oven, and allow to cool. Bake the pastry triangles for 12–15 minutes, until golden brown.
6. Remove pastry triangles from oven and allow to cool for 10–15 minutes.
7. Gently unwrap each apple and place on a cutting board. Pour the juices into the serving dishes.
8. Cut each apple in half and arrange two halves in each dessert bowl and top with 3 puff pastry triangles.
9. Drizzle each dish with the honey yogurt sauce.
10. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

NUTRITION • PER ONE SERVING

Calories 620 (28%)
Total Fat 31.52 g (65%)
Saturated Fat 13.088 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 4.712 g
Monounsaturated Fat 11.234 g
Trans Fat 0.702 g
Cholesterol 49 mg
Sodium 197 mg (13%)
Total Carbohydrate: 81.22 g (33%)
Dietary Fiber: 7.7 g (31%)
Total Sugars: 64.62 g
Protein: 11.43 g (21%)
Vitamin A 668 mcg (29%)
Vitamin C 10.7 mcg (14%)
Vitamin D 13 mcg (2%)
Potassium 463 mg (10%)
Calcium 125 mg (13%)
Iron 1.54 mg (9%)

This AMAZING Recipe can be found in my new Desserts on the Mediterranean cookbook here