Bacon Baklava...Yeah we went there!

I follow the food magazines of Bon Appetit and Food & Wine.  So a few weeks ago I was looking through Facebook and happened upon a post about baklava.  I'm not a huge dessert fan but I LOVE good baklava.  So when I saw the recipe I thought this seems interesting enough for me to try to make it on my own.  I know what goes into baklava..anyone who has ever fought with phyllo dough knows it will not be an easy dessert to prepare yourself.  What really got me was the fact it had bacon in it.  

Here is the link to the recipe.

As usual I followed this recipe pretty much to the letter.  Here are a few helpful hints if you do decide to tackle this.  I was very pleased how this came out especially for this being my attempt. 

Phyllo Dough - Follow the instructions on the packaging for proper thawing time and take it seriously if it says to cover with plastic wrap and a damp towel.  DO IT! It will dry out very quickly.  Good news is that because you layer so much of the dough if you have a few ripped pieces it really won't be noticed.  Having a second set of hands might make the layering part a bit easier.

Bacon - I microwaved my bacon and I honestly don't think you would be able to tell the difference on how you cook it.  Do what is easiest for you.

Nuts - I had some challenges on the processing of the nuts.  It was my first use of the Vitamix without Tom available to help.  Let's just say I had a few larger pieces of nuts in the baklava...and guess what..it still tasted awesome!

Orange Water / Rose Water - I used orange blossom water this time.  I would be tempted to try the rose water if I see at the store.  I honestly don't remember where we got it from buy my guess would be you can find at speciality stores like Whole Foods and Fresh Market.

Timing - It is key that you have the syrup ready to pour over the baklava as it comes out of the oven.  So time your steps accordingly.  The cook time is painless however building the baklava layer by layer will take time.  

Below are a few pictures of the baklava in the pan as it cooled.  Also I suggest serving slightly warmed in the microwave with ice cream!