Ingredients
Phyllo Dough
- 1 pound package phyllo dough, #4 (thinnest sheets)
- Recommended: The Fillo Factory #4 (14" × 18")
Clarified Butter
- 1½ pounds butter (salted or unsalted)
Walnut Filling
- 1½ pounds walnuts — ground coarse (14 pulses per cup in Cuisinart)
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ Tablespoon orange blossom water (Mazaher)
Syrup (make first)
- 2 cups sugar
- ¾ cup water
- ⅞ Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon orange blossom water (add after cooling)
Directions
Critical: Syrup must be completely cold before pouring over hot batlawa. Make the night before or early in the day.
Syrup
- Stir 2 cups sugar and ¾ cup water in a saucepan over medium-high heat until the mixture is clear and comes to a boil.
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Add ⅞ Tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Stir until settled, then simmer on low for 10–15 minutes. Remove from heat to a back burner.
The syrup will not seem thick on the stove. It thickens as it cools off the heat.
Once completely cool, stir in 1 Tablespoon of orange blossom water. Do not refrigerate.
Walnut Filling
- Using 1.5 pounds of walnuts, working 1 cup at a time, pulse walnuts in a Cuisinart for up to 14 pulses to coarse, not fine.
- Mix ground walnuts with 1 cup sugar and ¼ Tablespoon orange blossom water. Set aside.
Assembly
Clarified butter: Melt on low heat. Let white milk solids settle to the bottom. Skim any foam from the top. Use only the clear golden liquid.
Phyllo tip: Bring frozen phyllo to room temperature before opening. Keep covered with a damp towel until ready to use.
- Butter the 13×9 Pyrex dish generously with clarified butter, making sure the sides are well-covered.
- Remove phyllo from package. Cut the entire stack in half to fit the dish. Place all layers from one half on the bottom of the pan as the base.
- Spread the walnut filling evenly over the bottom phyllo layers. Sprinkle clarified butter over the walnut mixture.
- Place the remaining phyllo layers on top of the walnuts. Tuck the edges of the phyllo into the sides of the Pyrex dish.
- Using a ruler, cut batlawa into diamonds on the diagonal — cut along each side of the ruler for even lines. Reverse the pan and cut diagonally in the other direction to form the diamond pattern.
- After cutting, pour all of the remaining clarified butter evenly over the top of the phyllo.
- Bake on the lower rack (not the lowest) at 300°F for 1¼ to 1½ hours, until light golden brown.
- To check doneness, gently lift a top layer — the dough should be crispy all the way down to the nuts.
- Remove from oven. Set on a rack and let rest 5 minutes. While batlawa is still hot, pour the cold syrup evenly over the top. You will hear it sizzle.
Storing: Keeps at room temperature up to 2 weeks, covered loosely. Do not refrigerate.
