Biscoff Baklava

Creamy Biscoff spread and crumbled Biscoff cookies between flaky layers of pastry make this Biscoff Baklava one dessert everyone will love!

Biscoff baklava.  I'm tempted to leave my post at that because just those two words alone tell you everything you need to know about this recipe.  Yum!

But that wouldn't be very fair to the lovely Chelsy, whose blog I was assigned to for this month's Secret Recipe Club.  I've been a long time reader of Chelsy's blog, Mangia, so I knew that I wouldn't have any issue finding a recipe to make this month.  I was assigned to her blog a few years ago and I made her Blueberry Muffins.  My list of recipes to make kept growing and growing and growing until I came across her recipe for Biscoff Baklava and I knew I'd hit the jackpot.  Truth be told, I really wanted to make one of Chelsy's healthy recipes like Chocolate Protein Pancakes , Baked Pita Chips with Hummus, or Zucchini Banana Muffins to fit into my 21 Day Fix meal plan, but I decided a recipe like this was worth the cheat.

Have I told you before how much Mike loves Biscoff?  In fact, I ordered him 2 cases for his birthday next week.  Good thing he doesn't read my blog!  ;)  I knew this recipe would be a hit in our house!  I made it for our small group get-together.  Everyone there loved it.  One of my friends asked if this recipe was up on the blog yet or if it was coming soon.  I assured him it would be up on Monday.  This recipe makes a large pan, so I also had enough to bring to another friend's house as well as Sunday dinner at my parent's house and Mike's parents house.  It's so good though, I didn't mind having it for 4 separate desserts.  Excuse me while I go do an extra workout...

Baklava can be intimating because it looks so complicated.  However, it really isn't.  It's not as complicated as it is time consuming.  Baklava has been on my list to make for a long time, so I was thrilled to have the motivation to actually make it.  It's a lot of layering: 8 layers of flaky pastry brushed with melted butter, topped with a layer of Biscoff spread and crumbled Biscoff cookies, then topped with 4 layers of pastry. Repeat 3 more times and then top with 8 layers of pastry.  Then bake and pour a sweet syrup over the pastry.  Refrigerate for as long as you can resist and then dig in.  The bottom pastry soaks up the butter and extra syrup and becomes toffee-like.  Bottom line: make this!

I think this would be a delicious treat for Christmas baskets, paired with a jar or two of Biscoff Spread and a few packages of Biscoff Cookies .  You'd be the most loved friend ever!

Biscoff Baklava

Makes one 9x13" pan, approximately 50 slices

Ingredients:
For the Baklava:
1 (1 pound) package phyllo dough, thawed
3 sticks butter
1 (14.1 ounce) jar Biscoff Spread
1 (8.8 ounce) package Biscoff Cookies
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves

For the simple syrup:
1-1/2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 cinnamon stick

1.  In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter in the microwave in 30 second intervals.  Set aside.

2.  Place the Biscoff cookies in your food processor and process into fine crumbs.  Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves and combine.  (You can also crush the cookies in a ziploc bag with a rolling pin if you don't have a food processor.  Then add the spices and combine.)

3.  In a microwave safe bowl, melt the Biscoff spread in 30 second intervals.  You want it to be smooth and spreadable.

4.  Use a pastry brush to brush butter on the bottom of a 9x13" pan.

5.  Place 1 phyllo dough sheet on the bottom of the pan and then brush it with the melted butter. Repeat this process 7 times for a total of 8 pieces of phyllo dough.

6.  Spread approximately 1/4 of the Biscoff spread over the phyllo dough.  Then sprinkle approximately 1/4 of the cookies evenly over the spread.

7.  Top Biscoff layers with 4 layers of phyllo dough, brushing butter between each sheet of dough.

8.  Repeat the Biscoff spread, Biscoff cookies, and phyllo dough layers three more times (you'll have 4 layers of Biscoff).

9.  For the last layer of phyllo dough, use 8 pieces of dough.  If there is any butter left, pour it over the top layer.

10.  Place the whole pan in the fridge while the oven preheats to 350.

11.  While the oven is preheating, make the simple syrup by combining the ingredients in a small saucepan.  Stir occasionally and bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and let it cook down for 20 minutes.  Remove cinnamon stick and cool completely.

12.  When the oven is ready, remove the pan from the fridge and cut the baklava into pieces.  I cut a vertical line down the center and then cut from left to right, making 8 even strips.  Then I started in a corner and cut diagonals.  This step doesn't have to be perfect ;)

13.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown.  Remove from oven.  If necessary, remove a small piece of baklava from the corner and drain off any excess butter.

14.  While the baklava is still hot, pour the simple syrup over the pastry.

15.  Place the baklava in the fridge for 24 hours before cutting and serving.  (If you can't resist, mine was still great after just 8 hours.)

Cover and refrigerate leftovers.

Source: Mangia

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