Hmmm... Baklava....

         Baklava is a rich, sweet pastry featured in many cuisines of the Middle East and the Balkans. It is a pastry made of layers of phyllo dough filled with chopped nuts, usually walnuts or pistachios and sweetened with sugar or honey syrup. Add a little lemon zest to the sugar sauce, if desired.

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
• 1 pound chopped nuts
• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup honey

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.
2. Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.
3. Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
4. Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
5. Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.

Carrot Cake

Delicious and easy! This cake is extra moist. 

You will surprise by how easy it was. Enjoy!!

Ingredients

• 2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 (15 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees C (350 degees Fahrenheit). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix together sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk. Stir in carrots, coconut, vanilla, and pineapple. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; gently stir into carrot mixture. Stir in chopped nuts. Spread batter into prepared pan
3. Bake for 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool.combine butter or margarine, cream cheese, vanilla, and confectioners sugar. Blend until creamy. Frost cake while still in the pan.
4. In a medium mixing bowl, combine butter or margarine, cream cheese, vanilla, and confectioners sugar. Blend until creamy. Frost cake while still in the pan.