PINA COLADA BAKLAVA

Pina Colada Baklava is a tropical twist on a popular Greek dessert. This crispy, sticky, and sweet bar is made of layers of pineapple, coconut, and chopped almonds, and buttered phyllo dough. It is finished off with a generous glazing of coconut rum syrup.

        

If you are looking for something new to bring to the holiday parties this year, look no more! How about some Pina Colada Baklava? You certainly will not have to worry about having duplicates of these at the dessert table. And if you have never made baklava before, now is the time to try. I promise, these babies are going to fly off the plate and you will be happy that you made them. My husband brought some to work and got rave reviews and requests for the recipe. This was supposed to be next week's post, but I decided to publish this one earlier than usual in the event that any of my husband's coworkers wanted to make some for Thanksgiving. 

These bars are made with layers upon layers of buttered phyllo dough interspersed with several layers of pineapples, coconut flakes, and chopped almonds. After baking, the flaky, crispy bars are drenched in a coconut rum syrup which makes them sweet and sticky, yet retain their crispness. Finally, coconut flakes top off this sweet sensation. OH MY GOODNESS!!! 

This recipe is not complicated, although it is a little tedious. There are 40 layers of phyllo dough to be buttered. Additionally, separating and layering the mass of pureed, dried pineapple is a labor of love, but it is so worth your while. Finally, if you have any hesitation about using rum, omit it and add coconut extract instead. I haven't done it myself, but I would start with 1/2 teaspoon and add more to taste. I like to use the rum which definitely kicks it up a notch!

In parting, bring the uniqueness and the fun to your next social event with this Pina Colada Baklava. It's going to be a crowd-pleaser. If you don't have one to go to, make it anyway and have a party of your own!

Wishing you all a safe and wonderful Thanksgiving!

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PINA COLADA BAKLAVA

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INGREDIENTS: 

1 (16 oz.) pkg. phyllo dough, about 40 9"x14" sheets
20 oz. sweetened dried pineapple
12 oz. sweetened coconut flakes
3 sticks butter, melted
1 cup shelled almonds, finely chopped

For the Glaze:
1 cup agave nectar

4 tbsp. butter

3 oz. coconut rum

INSTRUCTIONS:

Thaw phyllo dough according to package directions.

Rough chop pineapple and place in a food processor. Pulse to break up chunks then puree. Pineapple will become a sticky mass. It is fine if there are small chunks but hand cut any large ones that might have remained.

Reserve and set aside a heaping 1/3 cup of the coconut for topping baklava after baking.

Butter the inside of a 9"x13" baking pan. Remove phyllo dough from packaging. There should be forty 9"x14" sheets. Trim off excess phyllo to fit baking pan using kitchen sheers or a knife (optional). Lay phyllo flat and cover with plastic wrap and a damp towel. Working one sheet at a time, butter the top of a phyllo sheet and place butter-side-up in baking pan. Repeat for 10 more sheets (there should be a total of 11 buttered sheets in the pan), keeping the unused phyllo sheets covered to prevent drying out.

Pull apart and layer 1/4 of the pineapple over the top phyllo sheet. The pineapple will be clumpy and sticky to work with. Sprinkle 1/4 of the coconut and 1/4 of the almonds over the pineapple.

Layer 6 buttered phyllo sheets over the pineapple/coconut mixture. Top with 1/4 of pineapple, 1/4 of coconut, and 1/4 of almonds. Repeat layering the 6 phyllo sheets and filling two more times. 

There should be 11 phyllo sheets remaining. Butter and place each sheet over the last layer of pineapple/coconut mixture. Use a sharp knife and cut through baklava on a diagonal to create diamond shaped bars that are roughly 1 1/2-inch thick. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F for 60 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Meanwhile, during the last 15 minutes of baking, make the glaze. Place butter and agave nectar in a small saucepan on medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add rum and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Spoon about 1/3 of the glaze evenly over the baklava once it comes out of the oven. Let glaze soak for a minute. Spoon another 1/3. Sprinkle on the reserved coconut flakes. Add the last third of the glaze. Allow to set for about 4 hours before serving. Makes about 30 bars.

Note: If you don't want to use rum, it may be substituted with a coconut extract. Take the finished glaze off the heat and stir in coconut extract. Start with about 1/2 teaspoon and adjust quantity to taste.

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