This Baklava Fudge recipe puts a new spin on a Greek classic. A ribbon of spiced honey-nut filling runs through this salty-sweet candy.
This recipe uses sweetened condensed milk, which can be confused with evaporated milk. Be sure you get the right canned milk. Sweetened condensed milk is thick and sweet.
2tablespoonsalmond flourplus 1-2 tablespoons more if needed
Fudge
14oz.sweetened condensed milk1 can
2/3cupnatural almond butterno salt and no sugar added
16oz.vanilla almond bark1 package, broken into pieces
2tablespoonschopped pistachiosroasted and salted for sprinkling on top
Instructions
Syrup
Stir together the sugar, water, and honey in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and let cook until reduced and syrupy, about 10-15 minutes, or until the yield is a little less than 1/3 cup of syrup. Remove the syrup from heat and stir in cinnamon.
Set aside to let cool completely.
Nut mixture
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 5-8 minutes in the oven. Let cool, then add them, along with the pistachios, to a food processor bowl and process in quick bursts until finely chopped. Transfer the nuts to a medium bowl and add the cooled syrup, the salt, and the cinnamon. Stir together.
Add 2 tablespoons of the almond flour and stir well. The mixture should form a paste. If the mixture is still syrupy, stir in another 1-2 tablespoons of almond flour until a pasty consistency forms. See pictures in the blog post for visual of the correct consistency.
Fudge
Line 8-inch square pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil that overhangs all four edges and spray it with cooking spray.
Place the sweetened condensed milk, 2/3 cup almond butter and almond bark in a large microwavable bowl. Heat in the microwave uncovered on high (100% power) in 1-minute increments, stirring well between each heating. Allow the residual heat from the bowl to do most of the work melting the mixture. This will take about 3 minutes. Be careful; the bowl may get hot. Alternatively, you may heat this mixture together in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat.
Immediately pour half of the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the nut mixture in clumps on top and spread out as best as you can. Pour in the remaining fudge and top with remaining nuts mixture; swirl using a butter knife. Pick up and drop the pan twice or until the surface becomes level. Sprinkle on the 2 tablespoons of chopped pistachios and transfer to the refrigerator. Let chill until set, about 2 hours.
Lift the candy out of the pan by the overhanging foil; cut the candy slab into pieces with a large chef’s knife.
The fudge may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
What to expect: Roasted, salted pistachios contribute the right amount of salt to balance this sweet confection. Natural almond butter with no salt or sugar added allows for the purest almond flavor. The honey syrup which coats the nuts gives this candy true baklava flavor.You can usually find natural almond butter with no salt or sugar added in the produce department, or in the bulk nuts section. Shelf-stable creamy almond butter can also be used in this recipe.