Citra's Home Diary: Bülbül Yuvası Tatlısı / Turkish baklava: Nightingale's Nest sweet pastry

Selam.......Merhaba from Turkey everybody....

Bülbül Yuvası Tatlısı or nightingale's nest, from its name I think you already can figure it out why this dessert looks like that. When I search around the net to find the recipe I found many versions of this nightingale's nest. Some make from the dough (similar to shortbread) while some make from phyllo pastry.

And since I'm a big fan of baklava, I choose to make this dessert from phyllo dough. Besides it's easy and practical, I love the sweet yet crunchiness of thin phyllo sheet melting in my mouth.

Serve it with a generous sprinkle of pistachio I'll assure you this is going to be the best dessert in your chill days and a great companion for your coffee time.

For making this Bülbül Yuvası Tatlısı you need thin rolling pin (in turkish language we call it oklava). The diameter about 5 mm (thinnest one- I use this). You can use any kind similar e.g straw or chop stick, just make sure it's long enough to roll phyllo sheet (at least 5 cm longer than your shorter side of phyllo sheet).
The thinner your rolling pin, the smaller log/ coil you'll get.

Rolling pin

Before you start to make the pastry, you need to make simple sugar syrup at ahead. This syrup should be at least has room temperature before pouring over very hot-fresh from oven pastry so the syrup can soak and seep perfectly into your pastry.
Thickness of syrup also one very important thing. Sugar syrup must have right consistency, if it's too much thick, your pastry will be hard like stone, if it's too thin/ runny the pastry will be soggy, not crisp as should be.

Make it ahead.
Sugar syrup:

1 kg sugar
600 gr water
Juice and zest from 1 lemon
1 tsp corn syrup (optional)

In medium heavy bottomed pan cook all syrup ingredients over medium heat until bubbling and sugar dissolved. Turn off heat and let it slightly cool. Run over fine sieve, discard lemon zest. Let it stand to room temperature. Keep in clean jar/ bottle.

For the pastry, make 44 Bülbül Yuvası Tatlısı

Ingredients:

800 gr (44 sheets) baklavalık phyllo sheet ready bought
250 gr butter ( I mix with margarine), melted
± 400 gr kaymak (similiar to clotted cream)--> you can skip this
± 500 gr ground walnut (I use mixture of ground walnut, pistachio, and almond)
ground pistachio for serve

baklavalık phyllo sheet

Method:

Working one sheet at a time. Take and lay one phyllo sheet over the working counter, shorter side facing you. Take about 1 tsp kaymak (clotted cream) and spread at the middle part of sheet-careful not to torn the sheet, sprinkle with mixed ground nuts (about 1 tbsp) leave 5 cm from each edge empty. Note: always cover your phyllo sheets with a damp towel to prevent drying.

Cover phyllo sheets with damp kitchen towel to prevent drying
From the shorter side near you, fold the sheet a few inches to middle. Using a very thin rolling pin, roll the dough from edge to make a long log.
Then from both sides push the sheet to middle makes crinkle- the thin rolling pin still inside. Then carefully pull a rolling pin to release the crinkle dough. Start to roll your crinkle dough into a coil. Do to all phyllo sheets until finish.
Arrange them over a baking tray. Generously brush all coils with melted butter. Bake into a preheated oven at 160ºC (or 150ºC fan force) until golden brown. Mine takes about 35 minutes. Just recognize your oven condition.
Take out from oven when it's done (still hot) directly pour with sugar syrup.
Sprinkle with chopped/ ground pistachio.