All Baklava-ed Out!

Yesterday my supervisor gave me one of the best compliments you can give someone like me. She called me a "Chef Librarian." While I don't hold either title officially yet, the words represent two of my three greatest interests (writing being the third), so I always relish the opportunity to be able to combine both in a single activity. On July 26, 2011, that activity presented itself again in the quarterly preschool program I present at the Green Valley Library called "Bake with Me." With our Summer Reading Program theme of multiculturalism, I wanted this summer's baking project to be a dessert from another country. How could the deliciously flaky, sticky sweet Mediterranean treat of baklava not come to mind? To keep it simple for the kids, I always invent individual portion recipes for "Bake with Me" events (check out some past programs on our library's blog) and test my recipes the night before to make sure they work. The baklava experiment turned out perfect on the first try!

Normally made with phyllo dough ("phyllo" means "leaf" in Greek, because the dough is thin as a leaf), I found a super simple and quick way to make baklava for kids with puff pastry dough instead to maintain that awesome flaky texture in only an 8-minute baking time. The result is based on a baklava recipe I found in the Nancy Drew Cookbook (yes, the super sleuth bakes too!) with my own little adjustments. It turned out so well, I made extra for my coworkers, then got home and used the leftover honey, nuts, and dough to whip up another batch for a going-away party this afternoon. My kitchen smells amazing, evidence of this baking adventure is all over the counter and sink, and now I am officially all baklava-ed out! Time to wash dishes!

And again, to keep this post short and sweet, I'll bring you the Individual Portion Baklava recipe in my very next entry: here.

Reading to the kids at the library while the baklava bakes!