THE OLD GUARD + BAKLAVA
The Old Guard (streaming on Netflix) was great! I kept wishing this was just the first episode of a series and not a movie. Fingers crossed for a sequel.
Directed by: Gina Prince-Bythewood
Starring: Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, and Chiwetel Ejiofor
Screenplay by: Greg Rucka
“Hazelnut, not walnut. Black Sea. Rosewater. Pomegranate. Eastern Turkey.” - Andy
Hazelnut Baklava with Honey-Pomegranate Syrup (adapted from Marjorie Johnson’s recipe in The Road to Blue Ribbon Baking)
Baklava:
1/2 lb. phyllo dough (thaw in fridge overnight and place on counter an hour before starting recipe)
1/2 lb. unsalted butter, melted
3 c. chopped and toasted hazelnuts (toast in a 350 degree oven 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon*
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg*
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
*I was out of cinnamon and nutmeg so I substituted equal amounts of pumpkin pie spice and it worked great!
Honey-Pomegranate Syrup:
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. pomegranate juice
1/4 c. fresh orange juice (no pulp)
3/4 c. honey
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice (no pulp)
1 cinnamon stick
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
For the syrup: Bring the water, orange juice, pomegranate juice, and sugar to a boil in a saucepan. When the sugar is dissolved, add the honey, lemon juice, and cinnamon stick. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes and then set aside to cool.
For the baklava: Mix the hazelnuts, spices, and sugar together. Brush some butter on a baking pan (15x10 or bigger), and then put 4 sheets of phyllo down, one at a time, brushing each individual sheet with butter. Add 1/4 of the nut mixture (about 3/4 c.). Repeat this process three more times, finishing with phyllo on top. Butter the top and cut through the top layer only (for diamonds, cut horizontally into strips and then diagonally).
Bake 50-60 minutes until golden brown. Pour the honey-pomegranate syrup over the baklava and let it stand for several hours or overnight. Cut through all the layers and remove from the pan. Store in an airtight container at room temperature to preserve the crispiness.
