Golden Layers by Rada

I have such fond memories of my sister's 18th birthday back in 1984! She wanted baklava to treat her friends, but nobody in our Serbian village knew how to make it., my mom hired an amazing woman from a nearby Muslim village to whip up this delicious dessert. I remember stepping into her kitchen, where layers of pastry dough were drying everywhere—it was a sight to behold! The skill it took to stretch that dough to perfection was incredible and our neighbor crafted hundreds of thin sheets to create layered baklava filled with walnuts and drenched in sweet syrup. On the day of my sister's party, the baklava arrived in a massive round baking sheet, and my mom warned me to stay away. I tried my hardest not to sneak a piece, knowing every missing layer would be noticed! But during the party, I ended up dozing off, only to wake up to an empty baklava dish the next day—what a letdown! The first time I finally tasted baklava was at a coffee shop in Prij while in high school. Years later, after becoming a refugee in Switzerland and marrying my wonderful husband of Albanian descent, I began experimenting with baklava myself, using store-bought dough. It a lot of practice, but I finally found my own unique style! Each piece of my layered baklava bursts with special flavors that have cherished across the Arab Peninsula and the Eastern Balkans for centuries. During one of my baking adventures, I discovered that buttered and rolled sheets of phyllo dough create an irresistible crunch and juiciness. To keep it extra moist, I added a secret ingredient to my filling that became an instant favorite! Curious to know what secret ingredient is? The only way to find out is to try my special baklava! Thank you for visiting page—can't wait for you to taste this treat!