Baklava, popular in Greece and Turkey, is a sweet dessert that usually consists of many layers of butter-drenched phyllo pastry, spices and nuts, drenched with a lemon-honey syrup. You can imagine how high it is in calories and fat! One tablespoon of butter contains 100 calories and 11 g of fat. This version uses no fat except for vegetable oil spray-it’s the filling that makes it so divine. The Grape Nuts cereal provides the texture of chopped nuts without the excess calories or fat.
RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking oil.
2. For the syrup, combine the granulated sugar, water, honey and lemon juice in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened.
3. Stir the cereal, raisins, pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Drizzle with 3 Tbsp of the syrup. Mix well.
4. Place 2 sheets of phyllo pastry on a work surface, one on top of the other, and cut into 4 equal pieces. Place one quarter in the prepared dish and spray with vegetable oil. Layer another quarter on top and spray. Repeat with the remaining quarters. Scatter the nut mixture overtop.
5.Lay out the remaining phyllo sheets, cut into 4 equal pieces and continue as above, placing the phyllo over the nut mixture and spraying after each addition. Spray the top.
6. With a sharp knife, cut into 12 squares, being careful not to tear the phyllo.
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the phyllo is golden. Reheat the remaining honey mixture if necessary and pour it over the hot baklava. Cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before serving.
INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbsp honey
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 sheets phyllo pastry
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup Grape Nuts cereal
1/2 cup raisins
NOTES
Nutritional Analysis per Serving
Calories 155
Protein 1.6 g
Fat 4.1 g
Saturated Fat 0.4 g
Carbohydrates 28 g
Cholesterol 0g
Fiber 1.3 g
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Make Ahead: Prepare up to 2 days in advance and store at room temperature.
Serves 12
