Chocolate Baklava

Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 15 mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups unsalted butter
• 4 cups pecans, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
• 1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 1 tablespoon butter

Recipe

• 1 in a small skillet, melt butter over low heat.
• 2 let stand a few minutes.
• 3 skim off and discard foam from top and do not use any milky residue that sinks to bottom.
• 4 the clear yellow liquid is clarified butter.
• 5 preheat oven to 350°f.
• 6 in a medium bowl, combine pecans, cinnamon, 1/4 cup sugar, and chocolate chips.
• 7 mix well.
• 8 open and stack phyllo sheets on a damp towel.
• 9 cover with a damp towel to prevent drying out.
• 10 brush a 12x18-inch sheet cake pan with clarified butter.
• 11 layer half of phyllo sheets (about 10 x 12) in pan, brushing each sheet with butter.
• 12 spread half of nut mixture evenly over layered phyllo sheets.
• 13 brush next phyllo sheet on both sides with butter, then place on top of nuts.
• 14 add 5 or 6 more phyllo sheets, brushing each sheet with butter.
• 15 top with the remaining nut mixture.
• 16 butter next phyllo sheet on both sides and place on top of the nuts.
• 17 top with remaining phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter.
• 18 using a sharp knife, cut pastry into 50 diamond-shaped pieces.
• 19 do not remove pastry from pan.
• 20 brush top with remaining clarified butter.
• 21 bake 40 to 50 minutes, or until golden.
• 22 about 30 minutes before baklava is finished baking, in a small saucepan, combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar and orange juice.
• 23 heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring often.
• 24 reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes.
• 25 stir in vanilla.
• 26 pour hot orange syrup over hot baklava as soon as it is removed from oven.
• 27 let stand until cool, 4 hours or overnight.
• 28 when baklava is cool, drizzle thin chocolate glaze on top.
• 29 allow glaze to set up before serving.
• 30 baklava may be kept, covered, 4 to 5 days at room temperature.
• 31 freeze for longer storage.
• 32 to make the thin chocolate glaze------------------.
• 33 in a small glass bowl, combine chocolate, butter, and 1 tablespoon water.
• 34 heat in the microwave on high 30 to 45 seconds, or until melted and smooth when stirred.