Oh, old blog, how I’ve missed you. It’s been a while, and part of that is because I’ve gone through some huge changes in my life. If you’ve been following along on Instagram or Substack, you know this. To recap:

1. I’m now blonde.

2. I’m now Orthodox.

3. I’m still in West Virginia and adoring every moment of it.

4. I’m still one of the most lovelorn women on the internet.

I’ll save the heavy stuff for Substack though, I wanted to bring this blog back because I missed writing fun little lifestyle pieces, such as this recipe I whipped up last week when I had an excess of peaches I needed to consume.

Now, I cannot in good conscience call this bahlawa. (Or baklava, for those who may be more familiar with its Greek cousin.) For all intents and purposes though, this is a little Appalachian twist on the old favorite. The method is the same, the syrup is the same, it’s “not” bahlawa but it kind of is. Just wish some fresh peaches and lavender from the garden. (Or dried, purchased from the store, depending on who you are and what you’re trying to get into.) It’s flaky and comforting like a good bahlawa, syrupy and floral and sticky, along with those beautiful stone fruit flavors we all crave in the summer. It’s good as-is, with some strong Arabic coffee, or with some vanilla ice cream.

Okay, I make fun of people who share recipes with an unnecessary preamble attached so without further ado, let’s discuss how to make this dessert.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Phyllo Dough* (I used half of a package, or 20 sheets. Traditionally, it’s made with 40 but the peaches take up a lot of space so you don’t need as many.)

• Five peaches, not too ripe, thinly-sliced into circles

• 1 cup of pistachios, finely chopped or put in a bag and repeatedly bashed with a rolling pin to crush (my preferred method)

• Olive oil—I lost track of how much I used, have a lot of it ready to go

• Dried lavender buds (as little or as many as you want—with a few extras for garnish)

• 3 cups granulated sugar

• 1 cup water

• 1 tbsp rose water (you can also add orange blossom water if desired)

• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice (I’m guessing here)

*Some things to keep in mind when dealing with phyllo: do NOT let it thaw at room temperature. The condensation will cause it to become soggy and difficult to work with. Also, keep a moist towel over top of it when working so that it will not become too dry.

HOW YOU MAKE IT

Start by making the syrup. This is important because you want it to be cold by the time you need to soak the “not bahlawa.” Now, I prefer the Lebanese way of making the syrup, but the Greek method would be good with this dessert as well. The Greeks use honey and cinnamon, which would taste very good with the peaches as well so if you don’t want your pastry to be as floral, I’d recommend that.

To make the simple syrup, mix three parts sugar to one part water and bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling, add the rose and lemon. Pour into a glass container with a lid (like a mason jar) and put into the fridge to cool. Depending on the ratio, you will likely NOT be using all of the syrup. Save it and use it for other things: in iced coffee along with some pistachio milk, overtop of knafeh, drizzled on ice cream or yogurt, etc.

Once the syrup is cooling, you can begin the pastry by setting a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet. (You can use a greased pan but I almost almost prefer the parchment paper method.) Set the oven to 350 to preheat.

Now, this next point is hotly debated. You do not need to oil every individual sheet of phyllo, but I do tend to brush a little bit of olive oil on each because I’ve found that, especially with the peaches soaking through their own layers, it adds a little more texture. Don’t use too much.

Start with seven layers on the bottom, then lay your peaches on top. (As pictured.) Sprinkle pistachios and some lavender buds. Doesn’t it look beautiful?

Lay five more layers of phyllo (lightly brushing each with olive oil between layers—once again, don’t get crazy—and the one layer of peaches, pistachios, and lavender.

Lay the remaining layers of phyllo over the second layer of peaches and smooth everything out as best as you can. Firmly pat it to make sure it stays put, then give it another pat for good measure. At this point, cut the pastry into triangles. I went a little bigger with mine but feel free to cut yours into smaller pieces.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, until golden brown.

IMMEDIATELY after taking it out of the oven, pour your syrup over the top. It’ll make the most delicious sizzling sound, and that’s how you know you did it right. It is of the utmost importance that you do this while the pastry is HOT and the syrup is COLD or else it will become irredeemably SOGGY. Sprinkle some lavender over top because it’s pretty.

Traditionally, you eat bahlawa cold, and this bastardization of it is no exception. (It’ll be tempting to dive right in though, I understand.)

Best when shared with friends.

Sahteen.

xo, e.m.