Ingredients for Pistachio Mussel-Shaped Baklava
- For the dough
- 50 g vegetable margarine, at room temperature
- Half a tea glass (about 50 ml / 3½ tbsp) vegetable oil
- 1 tea glass (about 100 ml / 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp) water
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons grape vinegar
- 2 tablespoons yogurt
- 4 water glasses (about 800 ml / 3½ cups) flour
- Cornstarch, for rolling
- For the filling
- 2.5 water glasses (about 500 ml / 2 cups + 2 tbsp) milk
- Half a tea glass (about 50 ml / 3½ tbsp) semolina
- Half a water glass (about 100 ml / 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp) ground pistachios
- For the top
- 250 g (about ½ lb) butter
- 1 tea glass (about 100 ml / 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp) vegetable oil
- For the syrup
- 3 water glasses (about 600 ml / 2½ cups) water
- 3 water glasses (about 600 ml / 2½ cups) granulated sugar
- 3–4 drops lemon juice
How to Make Pistachio Mussel-Shaped Baklava
This Turkish classic, known as midye baklava for its mussel-like shape, starts with a soft, pliable dough. In a large bowl, combine 50 g room-temperature vegetable margarine, half a tea glass of vegetable oil, 1 tea glass of water, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons grape vinegar, and 2 tablespoons yogurt. Mix well by hand.
Add flour gradually — 4 water glasses total. Knead until the dough no longer sticks to your hands and feels smooth.
Divide the dough into equal balls and roll each one out to roughly the size of a coffee cup using cornstarch. (Skip flour here — it toughens the dough.)
Stack the 8 rolled rounds with cut-open freezer bags between each layer so they don't stick together. Transfer to a container and refrigerate for 1 hour.
While the dough rests, make the filling. This is essentially a thick muhallebi — a Turkish milk pudding base.
Pour 2.5 water glasses of milk and half a tea glass of semolina into a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened. Set aside to cool completely — do not rush this step.
Once cooled, stir in half a water glass of ground pistachios with a spatula. Transfer the filling into a piping bag.
Take the chilled dough rounds and roll them out thin using cornstarch again — still no flour.
Generously wrap a sheet of dough around a rolling pin, then gather and scrunch it toward the center with your hands. Unfold the scrunched sheet and cut it in half lengthwise.
Gather the crinkled, long strip slightly toward the center, leaving a border on each long edge.
Pipe the filling along the strip in walnut-sized mounds, spaced about two fingers apart.
Fold the long edges over the filling so they overlap. Press firmly along the center to seal.
Use a knife to cut between each mound. Pinch the cut ends closed with your fingers, then flip each piece and press the seam shut to form a sealed oval — the mussel shape.
Arrange the shaped pieces on a baking tray.
Melt 250 g butter with 1 tea glass of vegetable oil in a small saucepan.
Spoon or pour the butter mixture evenly over all the pieces on the tray.
Bake at 190°C (375°F) until golden and crisp.
While the baklava bakes, make the syrup.
Combine 3 water glasses of water and 3 water glasses of granulated sugar in a saucepan. Add 3–4 drops of lemon juice. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then simmer until slightly thickened.
Pour the hot syrup over the hot baklava as soon as it comes out of the oven.
Let the syrup absorb fully and the baklava cool to room temperature before serving — rushing this step leaves the layers soggy.
Looking for an easy baklava using ready-made phyllo? Click for the Tahini and Walnut Dry Baklava Recipe!
