Thin, tight cylinders of phyllo brushed with butter and olive oil and rolled around chopped walnuts, cinnamon and nutmeg, then baked crisp and soaked in honey syrup. The name refers to the way the phyllo is wound, like thread on a spindle, so each piece is a dense walnut spiral. Makes 54 pieces in about 6 hr 5 min.
Prep50 min
Cook75 min
Cooling4 hr
Total
6 hr 5 min
Yield
54 pieces
Ingredients
Adjust yield
pieces
Scales from a half to a double batch; give a bigger batch a little more time.
2 cups (400 g)granulated sugar, for the syrup
1 ¼ cups (300 ml)water
4 tbsp (80 g)honey
¼ oz (5 g)lemon peel, 1 wide strip
1 tbsp (15 ml)fresh lemon juice
3 ⅓ cups (400 g)walnuts, finely chopped, not ground
⅓ cup (60 g)granulated sugar, for the filling
2 tsp (5 g)ground cinnamon, 2 tsp
½ tsp (1 g)nutmeg, freshly grated, about 1/2 tsp
¾ cup (170 g)unsalted butter, melted
⅓ cup (80 ml)olive oil, extra-virgin
14 oz (400 g)phyllo dough, 18 thin sheets, about 12 x 17 inches (30 x 43 cm), thawed
Make the syrup: bring the granulated sugar, water, honey, cinnamon stick and lemon peel to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves, then simmer 6 to 8 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in the fresh lemon juice and let cool completely, about 1 hour; remove the peel and cinnamon stick.
Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Stir the melted unsalted butter and olive oil together and brush some over the pan. Mix the walnuts, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon and nutmeg; divide into 9 equal portions of about 50 g.
Keep the phyllo dough covered with a damp towel. Lay 1 sheet with a short side toward you, brush lightly with the butter mixture, top with a second sheet and brush again.
Scatter one portion of filling evenly over the sheet, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) border at the far end. Starting from the short side nearest you, roll the phyllo up as tightly as you can into a thin cylinder about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick and 12 inches (30 cm) long.
Lay the roll seam side down lengthwise in the pan. Repeat to make 9 rolls, packing them side by side.
Brush the tops generously with the remaining butter mixture. With a sharp knife cut straight through each roll into 6 pieces about 2 inches (5 cm) long.
Bake on the middle rack until deep golden and crisp, 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes.
Ladle the cooled syrup evenly over the hot pastry as soon as it comes out of the oven. Leave uncovered at room temperature for at least 3 hours, ideally overnight, so the tight rolls soak up the syrup before serving.
Tips
Roll as tightly as you can; the dense spiral is what sets klostari apart from layered baklava.
Chop the walnuts by hand or pulse briefly; a fine powder makes a pasty filling.
If the phyllo cracks while rolling, brush it with a little more of the butter mixture and keep going.
Good with greek coffee or mountain tea.
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How long does it take to make klostari (konitsa rolled walnut baklava)?
Plan on 50 minutes of prep and 1 hour 15 minutes of cooking, plus 4 hours to rest. The recipe makes 54 pieces.
How should I store klostari (konitsa rolled walnut baklava)?
Keep loosely covered at room temperature for up to 10 days; do not refrigerate.
Can I make klostari (konitsa rolled walnut baklava) ahead?
It is at its best the day it is made; prepare it a few hours before serving.
Klostari is the Christmas baklava of Konitsa and nearby villages in Epirus, where buttered phyllo is rolled tightly around chopped walnuts with cinnamon and nutmeg into thin cylinders, baked with butter and olive oil and soaked in syrup. Serve it with greek coffee or mountain tea.
Variations
Mini portions: cut each roll into 12 pieces about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long for 108 bite-size pieces; bake 1 hour.
Cinnamon-sugar version: increase the cinnamon to 1 tbsp (8 g) and dust the soaked pieces with 1 tbsp (12 g) sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp (1 g) cinnamon.
All-butter: use 250 g (1 cup plus 2 tbsp) melted butter and no olive oil; bake time unchanged.
Clove-scented syrup: add 3 whole cloves to the syrup with the cinnamon stick and strain them out before pouring.
Estimated · per serving
Nutrition
Per serving = 1 of 54 servings this recipe makes.
143Calories / serving
9.2gFat
14.7gCarbs
1.7gProtein
10.0gSugar
Whole recipe (54 servings):
~7722 cal ·
497g fat ·
794g carbs ·
92g protein ·
540g sugar
Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.
Recipe Rating
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