Pistachio Baklava Rolls: Saragli

Ingredients

• 1-pound (#4) phyllo, thawed and at room temperature
• 3/4 pound unsalted butter, melted
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 and 1/2 cup of water
• 1 tablespoon rosewater
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1 cinnamon stick, plus 3 cloves
• 2 teaspoons vanilla, juice of half a lemon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla, juice of half an orange plus the peel of an orange
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups (250 grams) ground pistachios
• 2 cups (250 grams) ground walnuts, pecans, almonds, or hazelnuts
• 2 cups (250 grams) combination of walnuts and almonds with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• Ground pistachios
• Chocolate ganache: 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream plus 2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 325 °F, 160 °C.

2. 2

   Make the syrup first. Combine the sugar and...: Make the syrup first. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan. Stir together and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add the vanilla extract and the rosewater. Stir together and set aside to cool completely.

3. 3

   Note: Thaw the phyllo pastry overnight in the...: Note: Thaw the phyllo pastry overnight in the refrigerator. Set it at room temperature, in its packaging, for 1-2 hours. This will ensure that the phyllo will be easy to handle.

4. 4

   While making the baklava rolls, if you come...: While making the baklava rolls, if you come across 2 phyllo sheets that are stuck together, treat them as one sheet. It’s ok if a few of the baklava rolls contain 3 sheets. Attempting to separate the sheets might result in throwing both sheets in the trash.

5. 5

   Place one sheet of phyllo on a clean...: Place one sheet of phyllo on a clean work surface and drizzle some melted butter on top. Brush it gently to spread the melted butter.

6. 6

   Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the ground pistachios on...: Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the ground pistachios on top of the phyllo sheet.

7. 7

   Place the second sheet of phyllo on top....: Place the second sheet of phyllo on top. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle another tablespoon of nuts on top.

8. 8

   Fold the sheets upward in half.

9. 9

   Place a wooden skewer at the bottom of...: Place a wooden skewer at the bottom of the pastry and roll it up.

10. 10

    Scrunch the sides of the phyllo towards the...: Scrunch the sides of the phyllo towards the center, remove the skewer and place the baklava roll on a 9 by 13-inch baking tray that has been lightly greased with butter.

11. 11

    Continue to form the baklava rolls until all...: Continue to form the baklava rolls until all of the phyllo sheets run out.

12. 12

    Cut the rows into thirds and brush with...: Cut the rows into thirds and brush with the remaining butter.

13. 13

    Bake in the center rack of the oven...: Bake in the center rack of the oven for 55-65 minutes or until golden brown.

14. 14

    When the baklava is ready, remove from the...: When the baklava is ready, remove from the oven and pour the cooled syrup over it.

15. 15

    Allow to sit at room temperature for at...: Allow to sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours.

16. 16

    Garnish with the ground pistachios and serve with...: Garnish with the ground pistachios and serve with vanilla ice cream and coffee.

17. 17

    To make the ganache, heat the cream until...: To make the ganache, heat the cream until scalding hot and pour over the chocolate. Whisk together until the chocolate melts and a shiny ganache is formed.

18. 18

    Drizzle the ganache over the baklava if desired....: Drizzle the ganache over the baklava if desired. Enjoy!