Level: Intermediate
Yield: 8 servings
Nutritional Information Per Serving Serving Size: 1 of 12 servings Calories: 287, Total Fat: 16 g, Saturated Fat: 7 g, Carbohydrates: 35 g, Dietary Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 26 g, Protein: 3 g, Cholesterol: 27 mg, Sodium: 63 mg
Total Time: 1 hr
Active Time: 20 min

Whip up this enchanting bird's nest baklava, a whimsical twist that will dazzle your holiday table! Boston pastry chef Maura Kilpatrick's genius techniquewrapping phyllo around a wooden dowelyields golden, crunchy nests brimming with toasted pistachios and drenched in zesty lemon syrup. Irresistibly sweet and sticky, it's your next showstopper dessert that begs to be baked.

Lemon Syrup

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup water
Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Nests

10 tablespoons unsalted butter (to yield 8 tablespoons clarified butter, see Step 2)
8 sheets of phyllo dough, found frozen in most grocery stores; thaw according to package directions
1 cup pistachios, toasted and chopped (toast in a 350F oven for 8 minutes, then cool before roughly chopping)

Instructions

Lemon Syrup: In a saucepan, combine sugar, water, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Heat on medium-high until the sugar dissolves and the mixture boils. Lower heat and simmer gently until syrup thickens, about 15 minutes.
Clarify Butter: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, bringing it to a simmer (5-7 minutes). As white foam appears on top, carefully skim it off with a spoon and discard. Keep removing the milk solids until the butter becomes clear. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F.
Make the Nests: Prepare your workspace by laying phyllo sheets flat and covering them with a dry towel or parchment paper to prevent drying out. Place a sheet of parchment paper in front of you as your working area and have a baking sheet ready. Lay one phyllo sheet on the parchment with the shorter edge facing you. Lightly brush clarified butter in three sections: top, center, and bottom. Fold the edge closest to you up until it's about 1 inch from the top edge. Position a wooden dowel along the folded edge, aligning its end with the left side of the phyllo, then gently roll the phyllo around the dowel, stopping when you reach the inch of extra dough. Lift the dowel and push the phyllo towards the left end, gathering it carefully. Slide the rolled phyllo off the dowel and shape it into a circle, using the extra inch of dough in the center as the nest's core. Place the formed nests on the baking sheet. Repeat this process with the remaining phyllo sheets. Bake for 15 minutes or until the nests turn a light golden brown.
Finishing: Remove the nests from the oven. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of chopped pistachios into the center of each nest. Using a small measuring cup or ladle, pour 3 tablespoons of lemon syrup over each nest, allowing them to soak. Let the nests cool on the baking sheet. Once cooled, gently lift them off with a spatula and serve at room temperature, optionally drizzling with extra syrup from the sheet.