Farareer (Birds' Nests)
Submitted by hickeyja on September 09, 2007 at 11:07 pm

DESCRIPTION
Farareer (Birds' Nests)

SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under Cookies Brownies Bars

INSTRUCTIONS
This recipe comes from a series of cooking classes I took back in the early 80's. In the Turkish class we did FARAREER for dessert, instead of the better known baklava. But lovers of baklava will also enjoy these sweet little pastries.

3-1/3 cups finely chopped walnuts
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

24 frozen phyllo leaves
2 cups unsalted butter, melted

1/2 lemon, zested
1-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/4 cups water

1. Make walnut filling by mixing all ingredients in a medium size bowl.

2. Place one phyllo leaf on clean surface and brush with butter. Fold lengthwise in half and brush with butter. Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of walnut filling along the folded edge of the phyllo.

3. Roll the phyllo leaf over the filling, tightly, starting at the long folded edge, to 1 inch from the open edge. Form into a ring, leaving 1 inch in the center of the ring. Roll up to form a spiral. Fold the overhanging phyllo under the ring. Place on a buttered jelly-roll pan. Repeat procedure with remaining leaves.

4. Brush each cookie with butter. Place 1 Tablespoon of walnut filling in center of each ring. Bake at 400F until golden, about 40 minutes.

5. Zest and juice lemon. Heat zest, juice, sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.

6. Pour syrup over each hot pastry. Cool completely. Store covered in refrigerator. Serve at room temperature.

Pastries can be frozen before baking. To bake, remove from freezer, place on a jelly roll pan and bake as directed above. Frozen pastries may take a few minutes longer to bake.

To roll these pastries get a short length of 1-inch dowel rod. Hold the dowel rod in one hand. Place one end of the rolled phyllo against the dowel, about 1/2-inch from the end of the dowel. Wind the phyllo, round and round, until the entire length of the filled phyllo is wrapped around the dowel rod. Gently slip the pastry off the rod. Fold the loose ends under the spiral and place pastry on the jelly roll pan.