Pistachio Baklawa Recipe

Prepare pistachio filling

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread shelled pistachios on a baking sheet and toast 6–8 minutes until fragrant; watch carefully. Let cool. Pulse toasted pistachios in a food processor to a coarse meal (do not make a paste) — aim for tiny nibs and some small pieces. Transfer to a bowl and stir in 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground mastic, and 1/4 teaspoon fine salt. Mix until uniform.

Prepare phyllo and butter

Reduce oven to 325°F (160°C). Melt 1 cup unsalted butter in a small saucepan or microwave; keep warm. Unroll thawed phyllo on a damp towel and cover with a lightly damp towel to prevent drying.

Assemble baklawa

Brush a 9x13-inch (or similar) baking pan with some melted butter. Place one sheet of phyllo in the pan, brush lightly with butter. Repeat layering 4 sheets total, buttering between each. Evenly spread half the pistachio mixture over the layered phyllo in an even layer. Continue layering phyllo: place one sheet, brush with butter, and repeat to create 4 phyllo sheets between pistachio layers. Spread remaining pistachio filling. Top with remaining 4 phyllo sheets, buttering each sheet and the top sheet generously with butter. Using a sharp knife, cut the assembled baklawa into diamond or square shapes down to the pan bottom; make cuts before baking so syrup can penetrate later.

Bake baklawa

Bake in the preheated 325°F (160°C) oven for 35–45 minutes, until phyllo is deep golden and crisp. If the top darkens too quickly, tent loosely with foil.

While the baklawa bakes, combine 1 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to a gentle boil and let simmer 6–8 minutes until slightly thickened. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice and 1 teaspoon orange blossom water, if using; simmer 1 more minute. Remove from heat and let cool to warm (but not cold) — syrup should be warm when poured over hot baklawa.

When baklawa is out of the oven, immediately pour the warm syrup evenly over the hot pastries, working slowly so syrup sinks into the cut pieces. Allow baklawa to cool completely and sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight) so syrup fully absorbs and layers set.

Grind mastic & dissolve

Place 1/4 teaspoon mastic and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar from the 3/4 cup measured for the ice cream into a mortar and pestle (or between two spoons with a pinch of sugar). Grind to a fine powder to avoid gritty pieces. This step ensures mastic distributes evenly.

Make custard base

In a medium bowl whisk 3 tablespoons cornstarch with 1/2 cup of the whole milk until smooth and no lumps remain. In a medium saucepan combine remaining 1.5 cups milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 3/4 cup granulated sugar (minus the tablespoon used to grind mastic), and 1/8 teaspoon fine salt. Heat over medium until it just begins to steam (do not boil). Slowly whisk about 1/3 cup of the hot milk mixture into the cornstarch slurry to temper, then pour the slurry back into the saucepan while whisking constantly.

Cook until thick

Continue to cook over medium-low, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a thick custard that coats the back of a spoon (5–8 minutes). Remove from heat. Stir in the ground mastic, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and the optional 1 teaspoon salep powder or dissolved gelatin (if using) until fully incorporated. Let the base cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to release heat.

Chill and churn

Place custard in the refrigerator uncovered until well chilled (2–4 hours). Once cold, pour into an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's instructions until soft-set (typically 20–30 minutes). At the last 2 minutes of churning, add 1/4 cup finely chopped pistachios to create a pistachio swirl. If you don't have an ice cream maker, freeze in a shallow container, stirring vigorously every 30 minutes until smooth and set (3–4 hours).

Freeze to firm

Transfer churned bouza to a lidded container and freeze at least 2–4 hours to firm. For a traditional chewy texture, the small amount of salep or gelatin and the mastic will give slight chewiness and stretch.

To serve, place a piece of baklawa on a dessert plate. Top or accompany with a generous scoop of chilled pistachio mastic bouza. Sprinkle powdered or finely chopped pistachios over the top for color and texture. If desired, drizzle a bit of leftover syrup over the ice cream (very sparingly) or garnish with a small pinch of ground mastic for aroma.

Store leftover baklawa in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days (to keep crisp). Store bouza in the freezer; allow to sit 5–10 minutes at room temperature before scooping for best texture.