Chocolate Baklava with Fudge Sauce

From the 1997 KLO dinner — Greece

Chocolate Baklava with Fudge Sauce

(Honey & Walnut Cakes)

• 4-1/2 cups sugar
• 3 cups water
• 2x 3″ cinnamon sticks
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2-1/2 lbs walnuts, chopped
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 lb Phyllo pastry sheets
• 3 sticks unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3 cup butter
• 2-1/2 squares unsweetened chocolate
• 1 cup powdered milk
• 1/3 cup milk
• chopped walnuts for garnish

Start by making syrup. Cook the first 4 ingredients in a large saucepan over low heat, swirling pan occasionally, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat & boil gently 20 minutes. Cool. Discard cinnamon.

Combine walnuts, almond extract, & 2 cups syrup in large bowl. Add more syrup if necessary to make moist mixture that sticks together. Reserve unused syrup.

Cut Phyllo sheets in half crosswise. Brush 1 sheet with butter (keep remainder covered with wax paper & damp towel). Place 2 Tbsp filling on short end. Fold long edges over filling. Roll up jelly roll fashion, starting at short end with filling. Arrange seam side down on greased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining Phyllo sheets. Space pastries 2″ apart.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake pastries until golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. Brush top of each pastry with some reserved syrup to glaze. Cool.

To make fudge sauce, melt butter & chocolate in top of double boiler over barely simmering water. Slowly mix in sugar alternately with milk. Cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

To serve, place pastries on dishes. Spoon fudge sauce over & top with extra walnuts. Makes 40.