When I was in middle school, my social studies class buried a time capsule, each of us penning a forecast to our future selves. I colored a drawing of myself driving a burgundy convertible, wearing black Jackie O sunglasses, and a big pink bubblegum balloon extending from my red lips. Green palm trees floated in the background because I was moving to LA as soon as I turned eighteen. Our next lesson took us to Greece, and one of the homework assignments was to make baklava. I remember dialing up the internet on my home computer and finding a recipe on the Food Network website, foreshadowing a life I hadn’t let myself dream of yet. My mom, who baked them with me, has never been one to look up recipes and follow them. That’s not her style of cooking. It was new to see my mom trace her finger down a piece of printed paper, checking to see if the steps turned out the way they were described. We were captivated by our joint handiwork. The baklava was sticky, crunchy, and sweet, dense with nuts and sugary syrup. Between crispy, crackling mouthfuls my mom muttered that it reminded her of turon, a fried banana spring roll, which fractures the same way with every bite.
This recipe merges creamy banana slices and salted cashews between flaky butter-soaked layers of golden phyllo. Cut into tidy squares, each crinkled packet conceals a soft, squishy filling, and a quiet reminder that food can bring people together in unconventional ways.
Makes 32 pieces
WHAT YOU NEED
2 cups (280g) lightly salted roasted cashews, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 lb. (450g) frozen phyllo dough (about 34 sheets), thawed
4 sticks (452g) unsalted butter, melted
2 almost ripe bananas (yellow with a hint of green)
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1 cup (200g) dark brown sugar
1½ cups (360 g) water
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
WHAT TO DO
Order of layers
10 sheets phyllo
nuts
2 sheets phyllo
nuts
2 sheets phyllo
nuts
2 sheets phyllo
bananas
2 sheets phyllo
nuts
2 sheets phyllo
nuts
2 sheets phyllo
nuts
10 sheets phyllo
Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
In a medium bowl, stir together the cashews and cinnamon.
Stack the phyllo dough on a cutting board and keep covered with a damp paper towel while you work.
Brush the bottom and sides of a 9 × 13-inch (23 × 33cm) aluminum cake pan with a coating of melted butter.
Layer 10 sheets of phyllo in the pan, brushing the top of each sheet with butter before adding the next (butter the phyllo in the pan, not on the cutting board). Sprinkle 5 tablespoons of the cashew mixture evenly over the top sheet of phyllo.
Layer 2 sheets of phyllo over the cashew mixture, brushing the top of each sheet with butter before adding the next. Sprinkle 5 tablespoons of the cashew mixture evenly over the top sheet of phyllo.
Repeat this pattern once more, starting with 2 sheets of phyllo and ending with 5 tablespoons of the cashew mixture.
Layer 2 sheets of phyllo over the cashew mixture, brushing the top of each sheet with butter before adding the next.
Peel and slice the bananas thinly into rounds about ¼ inch (½ cm) thick. Top the phyllo with the bananas, arranging in a single even layer. I can usually fit 8 or 9 slices across and 6 or 7 slices down (use your judgment). You may have banana slices leftover.
Layer 2 sheets of phyllo over the bananas, brushing the top of each sheet with butter before adding the next. Sprinkle 5 tablespoons of the cashew mixture evenly over the top sheet of phyllo. Repeat this pattern twice more, starting with 2 sheets of phyllo and ending with 5 tablespoons of nuts.
Layer 10 sheets of phyllo over the nuts, brushing the top of each sheet with butter before adding the next.
Using a sharp knife, slice the baklava into 32 pieces (make sure to cut all the way down).
Bake until the phyllo is deeply golden and crisp, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 1 hour.
In a medium saucepan, add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and water and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 2 cups (475 ml), about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla.
Gradually pour the hot syrup over the cooled baklava. Let cool completely, about 6 hours.
Store in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.
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