… And here we are, sitting in a brand new year!
I don’t know what it is about these new year beginnings that send my head spinning with goals and dreams and life changes. Every January I find my head in the clouds with thoughts of doing this, and starting this, and letting go of this… only to get a month or two in and then settling back into the ordinary, chaotic life that we have created.
Last year I told myself it was my year. Granted, some things did happen, however disappointingly I didn’t stay on top of the things that really made me excited. I have to keep reminding myself that life isn’t as easy as it was before kids. Grabbing hold of me-time seems next to impossible most weeks as I try to keep up with laundry (and keeping my children alive!) They are the best things to ever happen to me – their laughs, their firsts, their nighttime cuddles – I wouldn’t change it for a thing (but I would ask for a few more daylight hours to spend focusing on me and the dreams I still have)… Do you ever remember hearing your parents ask for more hours in a day? I totally get that now!
Suffice to say, I loved every minute spent with my family in 2018, but for the rest, I’m ready to move on! Usually I hold on to every last minute of a year, but I am looking forward to a fresh start, to amazing changes, to watching Olive, Henry and Penny grow in the best ways, and to hopefully carving out some time for me to focus on the things that make my heart happy.
Okay Stacy, on to the food!! I made this Chocolate Hazelnut Baklava last October (with full intent to post for our anniversary… but life happened… sorry guys!) Scott and I spent our honeymoon in 2011 cruising around the Greek Isles. The only plan we had at each stop was to sit down for a slice of baklava, the rest of the time on each island was spent exploring without a purpose. We rented cars and scooters which helped us stumble upon some breathtaking views and intriguing pieces of history. It was a trip of a lifetime, and while I can’t remember which island we decided had the BEST baklava (I have since had 3 kids, remember??) , I know that we came home with a the flavours of Greece on our palate. Now, each year I try to make a baklava anniversary dessert to bring us back to the place that stole our hearts. This year I added chocolate, and swapped the traditional almond/walnut combination for hazelnuts.
CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT BAKLAVA
makes a 9×13″ pan
ingredients
syrup:
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups honey
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa nibs
2 whole cinnamon sticks
filling:
1 pound whole blanched hazelnuts
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Approximately 12 sheets phyllo
12 oz melted, clarified butter
steps
syrup:
Combine the water, honey, sugar, cococa nibs, and cinnamon sticks in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Once boiling, lower the heat and keep at a low boil for 15 minutes.
Allow the syrup to cool before straining. Set aside until ready to use.
filling
Preheat oven to 350°F.
If you were not able to purchase blanched hazelnuts, you can blanch your own following these directions!
Once blanched, spread out the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Bake until toasted, approximately 12-15 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
Using a food processor, pulse the hazelnuts until ground to the size of small pebbles (but not powder). Remove hazelnuts from food processor and place in a large bowl.
In the same food processor, pulse the chocolate into similarly sized pieces to the hazelnuts. Remove from food processor and add to the bowl of chopped hazelnuts. Add in cinnamon and stir to combine. Set aside.
assembly:
Cut the phyllo into 9″ X 13″ pieces and generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9″ X 13″ baking dish.
Place one sheet of phyllo in the pan and butter the top using the melted clarified butter and a pastry brush. Repeat until you have 8 sheets of phyllo for the bottom layer.
Spread 2 cups of hazelnut chocolate filling evenly over the phyllo. Layer and butter four sheets of phyllo before spreading 2 cups of hazelnut chocolate filling evenly over the phyllo.
Continue layering four sheets of phyllo and remaining hazelnut chocolate filling. For the final top layer of phyllo, layer and butter ten sheets of phyllo. Let sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes, so the butter solidifies.
Using a ruler, cut the baklava into 3″ X 3″ squares. Cut each square diagonally into two triangles.
Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes, then lower the temperature to 300°F and bake for an additional 45-50 minutes, until golden brown and the top layers of phyllo appear separated.
Remove from oven and ladle the cocoa nib and honey syrup evenly over the hot baklava. Set aside to cool for at least 2 hours.
