COPENHAGEN GREEK DESSERT

COPENHAGEN GREEK DESSERT

 For the top

½ pound phyllo pastry, thawed and at room temperature 1 stick of unsalted butter, melted

 

For the filling

1 Orange with juice and peel

¾ cup ground walnuts

¾ cup ground toasted almonds

¾ cup plain breadcrumbs (unseasoned)

1 and ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla extract 

¼ teaspoon salt

1 shot glass of brandy 

6 eggs at room temperature, (whites and yolks separated)

¾ cup granulated sugar

 

For the syrup

3 cups granulated sugar

2 and ½ cups water

1/4 cup of pure honey 

Juice of half lemon

 

Preheat the oven 350 °F, 180 °C.

 

To make the syrup

In a small saucepan, combine all of the ingredients except for the honey and bring to a boil stirring until the sugar is melted. As soon as it’s done pore in the honey and set aside to cool completely. The syrup must be cold.

 

To make the filling

Combine the walnuts, almonds, breadcrumbs, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves ,vanilla brandy, orange, orange peel and salt and mix well to combine. 

Place the egg whites in the bowl of a table top mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until the egg whites are thick, glossy and stiff peaks form. (Like meringue)

Transfer this mixture into a clean bowl. 

Place the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl that the whites were in and beat on high speed for a few minutes until thick and creamy. Add vanilla extract and whisk until combined. Whisk in the nut mixture.

Add 1/3 of the meringue mixture to the egg/nut batter and fold it in to lighten it up.

Gently fold in the remaining meringue taking care not to deflate it too much. Set aside.

 

To assemble the dessert:Grease the baking pan and layer and drizzle butter between 5 phyllo sheets. The excess phyllo can go up the pan and the remaining can just hang outside the baking pan.

Pour the nut meringue into the pan. Place the phyllo sheets that are hanging outside of the pan over the nut mixture.

Cover with 5 more layers of phyllo, drizzling butter between each sheet. Tuck the extra phyllo inside the edges of the pan.

Pour the remaining butter all over the top of the phyllo.

Scour the phyllo to create slices.

Bake in the center of the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until golden.

 

As soon as the dessert comes out of the oven, pour the cooled syrup over it. Cut through the slices all the way to the bottom so that the syrup drenches the pastry.

Allow the pastry to absorb all of the syrup at room temperature for at least one hour.