Step 3: Preparing the Phyllo and Butter
Working with phyllo requires a bit of speed and care. Keep a slightly damp towel over the unused sheets to prevent them from drying out!
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Melt Butter: Melt and clarify the butter. Clarified butter (ghee) is preferred as it has no milk solids, which can burn, but melted butter works well too. Keep it warm.
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Prepare Pan: Lightly brush the bottom and sides of a $9 \times 13$-inch ($23 \times 33$ cm) baking pan with melted butter.
Step 4: The Layering Process
This is where the magic happens! We’ll divide the phyllo into three sections: a base, the middle/filling, and a top. (A typical package has about 40 sheets.)
A. The Base Layers (15-18 sheets)
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Lay and Brush: Place a single sheet of phyllo into the prepared pan. Brush the entire surface lightly with the melted butter.
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Repeat: Continue this process, layering and brushing 15-18 sheets of phyllo, one on top of the other. Be generous with the butter on the edges to ensure a crisp, golden crust!
B. The Filling Layer
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Sprinkle: Once the base layers are complete, evenly sprinkle half of your nut mixture over the top layer of buttered phyllo. Try to cover the entire surface.
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Middle Layers (5-7 sheets): Lay another 5-7 sheets of phyllo on top of the nuts, buttering each sheet individually. This separates the two nut layers.
C. Second Filling and Top Layers (15-18 sheets)
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Sprinkle Again: Evenly sprinkle the remaining half of the nut mixture over the buttered phyllo.
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Final Top Layers: Finish the assembly by layering the remaining 15-18 sheets of phyllo, buttering each one meticulously. Be especially careful to butter the very top sheet thoroughly!
Page 3:
Cutting, Baking, and the Grand Finale
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