scratch-made baked goods
These crispy hazelnut chocolate bars come together with just 5 ingredients in 20 minutes. They make a great healthyish, midday snack. Guilt-Free Sweet Snack If you are looking for something healthyish to snack on during a busy day then this hazelnut chocolate bars recipe is …
These delicate chocolate florentine cookies will tickle your taste buds! They are buttery, nutty and super easy to make. Beware, they are quite addictive. A European Favorite Florentine cookies as the name suggests, originate from Italy and specifically Florence. The traditional cookies are very thin …
Are you a baklava lover? Then, look no further! This baklava cupcake recipe features honey cupcakes filled with pistachio ganache and topped with honey cream cheese frosting.
You guys have been showing so much love to my baklava rolls recipe since I posted it, so it was only fair to share another baklava themed dessert. This time, baklava takes the form of a cupcake! If you have no clue what I’m talking about, check my blog post for “Brown Butter Maple and Pecan Baklava Rolls” . When I think of baklava, I think of honey syrup, pistachios and walnuts layered between buttery phyllo layers. This baklava cupcake recipe incorporates all these flavors! It is fluffy, moist and perfectly spiced. The rich pistachio white chocolate ganache compliments the honey cupcakes so well! Lastly, the baklava cupcakes are topped with a fresh honey cream cheese frosting and a small baklava piece for an elevated look. Let’s get to it!
Making your own pistachio paste is easier then you might think. You will need 60 grams of raw shelled pistachios for this recipe. Firstly, bring some water into a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and add the pistachios. Let them sit in the boiling water for about 2 minutes, then drain and place on a clean tea towel. Fold the towel in half and rub the pistachios to remove the skins. When you have separated the pistachios from their skins, transfer to a food processor.
Process for about 2 minutes. The consistency will gradually turn from crumbs to paste. You can add a bit of water to help the pistachios get smoother ( I was using one tablespoon at a time). For this baklava cupcake recipe, I didn’t process the pistachios all the way because I like a bit of crunch. Store the pistachio paste in a jar until ready to use.
You need is a phyllo dough sheet and a small brownie pan. Preheat oven to 375°F (190C). Melt 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a saucepan. Brush some of the butter at the bottom of the pan. Spread the phyllo sheet on the pan. Don’t worry if the edges are hanging out of the pan. Sprinkle with some of the butter and chopped pistachios and walnuts. Fold in half and repeat the same procedure. You will fold the phyllo sheet 4 times in total, ending up with a small rectangle shaped baklava. Use a knife to score the mini baklava. You should have 12 mini baklava pieces. Bake for 15 minutes or until the baklava is golden brown and flaky. Remove from pan and let it cool before using.
Preheat oven to 350°F (180 C). Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners and set aside. In a medium bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground cloves and salt. Set aside.
Using a hand/stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the unsalted butter and granulated sugar on medium/high speed until smooth for about 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl when necessary. Incorporate the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the honey, pure vanilla extract and buttermilk and mix until just combined. The batter will look curdled at this point (see photo 1). It’s normal. With the mixer running on low, add the flour mixture in thirds until fully incorporated (see photo 2).
[easy-image-collage id=3192]Spoon 2/3 of the batter into each liner. Hit the muffin pan on the counter to eliminate any air gaps (see photo 3). Bake in the middle rack of the oven for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow the honey cupcakes to stay in the muffin pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to completely cool.
[easy-image-collage id=3195]In the meantime, chop the white chocolate bar in small pieces and place into a heatproof bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it starts to simmer. Pour the hot heavy cream into the bowl with the white chocolate pieces and let it sit for 2 minutes. Add the pistachio paste and stir well until the chocolate has completely melted and the ganache is smooth. If you prefer a more vibrant color, you can add food coloring at this point and stir until combined. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes until the ganache has thicken. Transfer into a piping bag and set aside.
Once the honey cupcakes are cooled, push an apple corer or the back side of a round decorating tip into the center of the cupcake (see photo 4). Be careful not to push it all the way to the bottom of the cupcake. Twist the apple corer/decorating tip and pull it out of the cupcake. Discard the extra cake or eat it! Fill in the cupcake centers with the pistachio ganache (see photo 4).
Using a hand/stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the cream cheese on medium/high speed until smooth. Mix in the honey, pure vanilla extract, powdered sugar, ground cinnamon and salt until fully incorporated. If the frosting is too runny, pop in the freezer for 10 minutes. Fill a piping bag with the tip of your preference and frost the baklava cupcakes. Alternatively, spoon the frosting on the cupcakes. They don’t need a lot of frosting. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and walnuts. Optional: Top each cupcake with a mini baklava piece. Enjoy!
Don’t have enough time? You may prepare the honey cupcakes, pistachio ganache and honey frosting a day ahead. Store cupcakes, covered at room temperature. The tops might be sticky the next day. That happens because of the honey moisture but does not affect the taste nonetheless. Refrigerate the pistachio ganache and honey frosting in airtight containers. When ready to use let them sit on the counter top for a few minutes. Mix, frosting on high speed until it reaches a smooth consistency. Continue with the directions as shown in the recipe card.
Baklava cupcakes will keep fresh fro up to 3 days refrigerated in an airtight container. If you have leftover cupcakes, let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving. I like my cupcake soften! You may freeze frosted baklava cupcakes in airtight containers for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature.
This baklava cupcake recipe combines all the features of a traditional baklava without all the fuss. They are moist, flavorful and are set to impress! WHO doesn’t love a cupcake with a surprise in it anyway? If you decide to give my baklava cupcake recipe a try, take some extra time to leave a review on the blog. Thank you for making Siftnwhisk possible. Happy Baking!
Did you make this recipe? Tag @siftnwhisk on Instagram and hashtag it #siftnwhisk.
Celebrate 4th of July with these easy, no-mixer fruit cups! Crispy base, Greek yogurt filling and fresh berries are making these fruit cups ideal for Sunday brunch. Red, White & Blue Independence day means patriotic food, festive decorations, family time and of course dessert! I’m …
These easy, healthy and chewy Greek bars are a great snack for the whole family. Greek pasteli is sugar free and ready in 15 minutes. An ancient Greek recipe It’s not a secret how proud I am of my Greek heritage! Being able to share …
These traditional Greek Christmas cookies are moist and beautifully spiced! They are soaked in honey syrup and served with walnuts and sprinkled cinnamon.
While writing this post I fell home sick and happy at the same time. Making melomakarona with my mother is one of my most cherished childhood memories. Festive days call for festive food and these Christmas cookies are the best way to start. We would spend hours in the kitchen baking dozens of these Greek Christmas honey cookies to gift to our family and friends. Believe me when I tell you that these cookies would never last till Christmas day in our house. I snacked on Melamakarona all day long, and I do this till date (oops!). Greeks have literally many sweet treats for major holidays (Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Easter) and Melomakarona is one of the treats you will find in every Greek home!
The Melomakarono (Greek: Mελομακάρονο plural: Mελομακάρονα, Melomakarona) is an egg-shaped Greek dessert made mainly from flour, olive oil and honey. Historically, melomakarona are thought to be derived from the ancient and medieval makaria, which were eaten during funerals. Gradual changes in the recipe and the addition of dipping them in honey led to melomakarona which etymologically is derived from the Greek word for honey “meli” and “makaria”.
Do not overwork the dough: This cookie recipe does not resemble any of the usual cookie recipes. That been said, it is very important to follow the steps as shown on the recipe card below. More specifically, for these Christmas cookies we do not use a mixer to combine the ingredients. As an oil based cookie, mixing the dough in a mixer will result in the oil to separate from the mixture. 10 seconds of mixing, using your hands are enough to get the consistency we seek.
Make the dough and bake the cookies on the same day: Unlike other recipes, the dough cannot be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator. This will result in the oil to separate from the dough and the mixture will curdle. Moreover, the cookies will not turn out crispy.
Let the cookies soak in the syrup: Most of the recipes for Melomakarona call for cold syrup on hot cookies. However, my grandma used to add the hot syrup on warm cookies. Likewise, I follow the same method as I find that the cookies absorb only as much syrup needed to make them moist but not overly syrupy.
To begin with, sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add the ground cinnamon, ground cloves and salt and set aside.
Afterwards, pour the olive oil, sugar, beer, orange juice, orange zest in a big bowl and whisk well.
Moving forward, add half of the flour mixture in the wet ingredients and stir gently with a wooden spoon. Stir just until the flour is incorporated. Lastly, add the remaining flour mixture. Use your hand to mix the dough for the Christmas cookies for 10 seconds. Be careful not to overwork the dough because it will split.
After that, preheat the oven to 375 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Pinch a portion of the dough ( around 35 grams), roll and press the dough into oval shape using your palms. Secondly, prick the top of the cookie using a box grater ( finely grate side). Now, add the cookie in the lined baking sheet. Repeat the same process for the remaining dough.
Bake one tray at a time for 25 minutes or till the cookies are lightly brown and crispy.
While baking the first batch of Christmas cookies prepare the syrup. In a saucepan over medium heat add the water, sugar and honey and bring to boil. Using a spoon, remove the excess foam the boiling honey will produce and discard. Boil for 5 minutes till the sugar dissolves. When done, remove the syrup from the heat. Line the warm baked cookies in a baking sheet and pour over the hot syrup. In conclusion, sprinkle with cinnamon and chopped walnuts.
Let the cookies completely cool down and soak the syrup for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Enjoy alone or with a cup of coffee.
Every bite of melomakarono screams Christmas! Not to mention that these Christmas cookies are egg-free, dairy-free and vegetarian. Give this recipe a try and your family and friends will thank you. You can easily double the recipe and gift these delicious aromatic cookies to your favorite people! After all, who doesn’t love homemade Christmas cookies?
Get to know me better!
Did you make this recipe? Tag @siftnwhisk on Instagram and hashtag it #siftnwhisk.