Mmmmm, Baklava!

Every year for Valentine's Day I try to make The Husband something a little special for dinner. Last year was the Red Pepper soup (with sour cream hearts floating in it) and the year before was Spinich/Mushroom Strata. They were such big hits that we had them this year. But wait! Valentine's Day? Sweets for my sweetie? Hmmmm, he's not allowed sugar so every year I look for a low-sugar (he refuses to use Splenda, sacharrin et al) yummy. There was the apple juice sweetened cake, the mago puree cheese cake, and the low-sugar chocolate cake. All at least edible but no real wonders. If he sort of liked it, I hated it. If I liked it, he didn't. This year, friends, this year, I listened. Every time we go to the local Greek restaurant, The Husband sighs and says, "Baklava! I miss baklava!" So as I was going through the cookbook looking for something to bake for the Rabbi (we are her hosts this weekend, and it's in the notes that she must gain weight when she comes) and I found a low-sugar, mostly fruit sweetened baklava in the Moosewood Desserts (scroll down). It is truly a labor of love, but soooo yummy!

First you layer a gazillion sheets of filo pastry (a quarter pound) with melted butter and finely chopped, toasted almonds. Next you put in apricot puree made by cooking apricots in apple juice and then pureeing them with two eggs in the food processor. Finally you layer another quarter pound of filo leaves with butter and almonds. Bake for a while and then heat a quater cup of honey with some lemon juice and water and pour over your creation. Chill and serve in little pieces. Note that I am not giving you the full recipe, buy the book, there are lots of great recipes in there. The Husband had one for dessert and the next morning his sugar levels were perfectly normal. Not only that, but I liked it, too! Usually I am a sugar hog, but this is so nice and sweet without being cloying. For sure it's a keeper, though I may try rose water in place of the lemon juice.