Turkish cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Dilber Dudağı (Lady's Lips Baklava)

Crescent-shaped baklava from Gaziantep with pistachio filling, soaked in cold syrup after baking.

Ingredients · for 8 servings

• 400 g phyllo dough
• 250 g pistachios
• 250 g butter
• 400 g sugar
• 350 ml water
• 1 tbsp juice of one lemon

Instructions

1. Bring the sugar, water and lemon juice to a boil and simmer uncovered for 12 min. until a slightly thick syrup forms; chill completely, since hot syrup on hot pastry would make it soggy.
2. Chop the pistachios medium-fine, melt the butter and preheat the oven to 170°C top/bottom heat.
3. Layer two phyllo sheets on top of each other, brush thinly with butter and cut into strips about 10 cm wide; keep the remaining sheets covered with a damp cloth meanwhile.
4. Place a band of pistachios on each strip, loosely roll the dough around a thin rolling pin, push the roll together toward the middle, slide it off and shape it into a crescent in the buttered pan.
5. Arrange all the crescents tightly side by side, pour the remaining butter generously over them and bake 40–45 min. until deep golden brown and audibly crisp.
6. Pour the cold syrup evenly over the hot pastry right away – it should sizzle – let it sit for at least 3 hrs. and serve sprinkled with the remaining pistachios.