Ginger Date Baklava Rolls with Five-Spice Syrup
Crisp, buttery phyllo cigars filled with a chewy walnut, Medjool date and candied ginger paste scented with Chinese five-spice and orange. A warm, star-anise-and-ginger honey syrup soaks in as they cool, so the shells stay shatteringly crisp.
- Prep
- 47 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Wait
- 1 hr
- Total
- 2 hr 32 min
- Makes
- 24 rolls (each about 4½ inches / 11 cm long), serving 12
Steps
Before you start
- Thaw frozen phyllo in the refrigerator overnight (8–12 hours) in its unopened package. Phyllo thawed on the counter or in a hurry turns gummy and sticks together.
- Use 14×9-inch (35×23 cm) phyllo sheets. If your sheets are a different size, trim the stack so each sheet half measures about 7×9 inches (18×23 cm).
- Melt the butter and have the oven preheated before you open the phyllo. Once open, phyllo dries out in minutes.
- The syrup must be cool when it meets the hot rolls, so make it while the oven preheats and leave it to cool while the rolls bake.
- Read the whole recipe once. The rolling goes fast after the first two or three.
Preheat and prep panOven 350°F / 175°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat it to 350°F (175°C).
- Melt the ¾ cup (170 g) butter and let it cool slightly.
- Brush the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking dish with a thin coat of the melted butter.
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Ready when: Oven reaches 350°F (175°C) and the dish is evenly glossy with butter.
Tip: Keep the butter slightly cooled, not hot, so it does not steam and soften the phyllo.
Make date-walnut filling
- In a food processor, pulse the walnuts 8–10 times until coarsely chopped, about the size of small peas.
- Add the dates, candied ginger, 1½ tsp five-spice, orange zest, salt and 2 tbsp melted butter.
- Pulse in 1-second bursts, 15–20 times, scraping the bowl once, until the mixture clumps together into a coarse, sticky paste with some visible nut pieces.
- Divide into 12 equal portions (about 43 g each) and shape each into a 8½-inch (21 cm) rope on a plate.
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Ready when: Pinched between your fingers, the filling holds together; it is sticky and flecked with nut pieces, not a smooth butter.
Tip: Don't over-process. A smooth paste turns pasty and heavy inside the crisp shell.
Simmer five-spice syrup
- In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water, honey, star anise, fresh ginger slices and 1 tsp five-spice.
- Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, then bring to a boil.
- Reduce to a steady gentle simmer and cook, without stirring, for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice, then strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof jug.
- Let it cool at room temperature while you roll and bake.
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Ready when: Syrup is lightly thickened and coats a spoon like thin maple syrup; it will thicken more as it cools.
Tip: Don't stir after it boils, and don't reduce it further, or it will crystallize or turn too thick to soak in.
Set up phyllo station
- Unroll the thawed phyllo on a large cutting board.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the stack of 12 sheets in half crosswise to make 24 rectangles about 7×9 inches (18×23 cm).
- Cover the stack with plastic wrap, then a lightly damp (well-wrung) towel on top.
- Place the filling ropes, melted butter and pastry brush within reach.
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Ready when: Stack is cut cleanly and fully covered.
Tip: The towel should be damp, not wet. A wet towel makes the phyllo gluey.
Fill and roll cigars
- Take 2 rectangles from the stack and lay them on the board, stacked, with a 9-inch edge facing you.
- Brush the top sheet lightly with butter.
- Lay 1 filling rope along the 9-inch edge nearest you, leaving about ½ inch (1 cm) at each end.
- Fold the bottom edge over the filling, fold in the short ends about ½ inch, then roll up tightly like a cigar.
- Brush the outside lightly with butter and set seam-side down.
- Repeat to make 12 cigars, re-covering the phyllo each time.
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Ready when: Each cigar is snug and about 9 inches (23 cm) long, with the filling fully enclosed.
Tip: A torn sheet is fine; use it as the inner layer and place an intact sheet outside. Roll firmly but gently so the phyllo doesn't split.
Cut and arrange
- With a sharp serrated knife and a light sawing motion, cut each cigar in half crosswise to make 24 rolls, each about 4½ inches (11 cm) long.
- Arrange them seam-side down in the buttered dish in 12 snug rows of 2 rolls, ends touching.
- Brush the tops with the remaining melted butter, using it all.
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Ready when: Rolls are lined up tightly, tops glossy with butter.
Tip: Cut before baking. Baked phyllo shatters when cut, and the cut ends allow the syrup to soak in.
Bake until goldenOven 350°F / 175°C
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) on the center rack for 30–35 minutes, rotating the dish once halfway through, until the rolls are deep golden brown and the butter around them is bubbling.
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Ready when: Tops are deep golden brown and crisp, and you hear sizzling butter around the edges.
Tip: If the tops brown before 30 minutes, loosely tent with foil. Pale phyllo is soggy phyllo, so don't pull them early.
Soak with syrup
- As soon as you remove the dish from the oven, slowly spoon or pour the cooled syrup evenly over the hot rolls, about 1 tbsp per roll.
- It will sizzle.
- You may not need every drop; stop when the rolls are glossy and a small amount of syrup pools around the edges.
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Ready when: Syrup sizzles on contact and the rolls look glossy.
Tip: Hot pastry plus cool syrup is the secret to crispness. Hot syrup on hot rolls will turn them soggy.
Rest and finish
- Leave the rolls uncovered at room temperature for at least 1 hour so the syrup absorbs and the shells set.
- Sprinkle with chopped pistachios if using, then lift out gently with a spatula to serve.
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Ready when: Dish is completely cool to the touch, the syrup is absorbed, and the shells crackle when pressed.
Tip: Do not cover them while they cool; trapped steam softens the phyllo.
Good to know
Tips
- Work quickly but calmly with phyllo. Keep unused sheets covered at all times and only uncover the number of sheets you are working with.
- Use a light hand with the butter. A thin, even coat gives crisp layers, while too much makes them greasy.
- Weigh the filling ropes (about 43 g each) so every roll bakes evenly and is the same size.
- Five-spice powders vary in strength. Taste a tiny pinch of yours; if it is very strong (heavy on clove or star anise), reduce the amount in the filling to 1 tsp.
Make ahead
Make the filling up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate it in an airtight container (bring to room temperature before rolling). The syrup can be made up to 1 week ahead and kept in the refrigerator; bring to room temperature before using. The rolls are best baked and soaked the same day, or up to 1 day before serving.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: store loosely covered or in a container with the lid slightly ajar for up to 3 days. Refrigerator: not recommended, as it softens the phyllo. Freezer: freeze soaked rolls in a single layer, then transfer to an airtight container for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature for 2 hours. To re-crisp, warm on a baking sheet at 300°F (150°C) for 8–10 minutes and cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Substitutions
- walnut halves → Pecans or pistachios. Use the same weight. Pistachios give a greener color and a slightly sweeter taste.
- unsalted butter → Ghee or clarified butter. Gives a nuttier flavor and even crispier layers, with less risk of sogginess.
- honey → Maple syrup or agave syrup. Use the same weight. The flavor will be slightly different but the syrup will behave the same.
- Medjool dates → Dried figs (stems removed) or soft dried apricots. Use the same weight. Figs will make the filling more seedy, apricots more tart.