choklava

It is nine pm and I can smell the syrup simmering on the stove: water, sugar, honey, and orange zest.  That smells like my Christmases I spent as a child in Greece.  You know, if I had ever been to Greece.  Which I have not.  But I imagine that this is what Greek children smell at Christmastime.


Last year I didn't make my annual batch of baklava.  I don't remember if I made any treats to bring to neighbors.  What a weird month last December was.  I can recall moments, but not much else.  I remember on Christmas Eve we weren't prepared to have a classic dinner, so I made turkey meatloaf, green beans and mashed potatoes from a box.  And I still had that facial paralysis rocking half of my face.  I remember we were laughing about some lame knock-knock joke I had heard about Santa eating reindeer poop (classy, I know).  For kicks, I put my napkin over the functioning half of my face so all the kids saw was my serious, faulty side.  Then I would switch the napkin and they'd see how hard I was laughing on the side that worked.  


Good times.


This year I have tried to make some of my favorites again, but no pressure.  I made some suckers, double chocolate mint cookies, cinnamon almonds, peppermint brownies, failed almond toffee and now choklava.  What?  You've never heard of choklava?  

A few years ago I was making my PANS of baklava and had some leftover phyllo dough (or fillo, whatever) and some time to kill, apparently.  So I made up a half batch of baklava with chocolate and almonds instead of walnuts.  Alan geniusly dubbed it "choklava" and I am sure someone overheard us, copied it, sold it around the world and has made millions from it, because apparently it is not as unique as we had thought.


But I still claim it as my own.  And this year I decided my ONE pan of baklava would be choklava.


Great story.


Not so much.

I wish I were my own neighbor!

The smell is ridiculous.  I paused mid-writing this post to pull the pan out of the oven and pour the orange-honey syrup all over the pieces of flaky heaven.  Maybe I burned my tongue trying to taste a little piece.  It will be mine soon enough.  It's too small to give away and I HAVE to try it to make sure it is OK to give to neighbors.  Right?


So this Christmas hasn't been the most action-packed, sunrise-to-sunset, chock-full of holiday happenings.  But it has been full of little joys.  And a lot of fantastic.  I feel like I will be happy and fulfilled when it comes, and a little sad to see it end.  


Really, though, last year I wasn't even sure I could have a Christmas this wonderful again.  Seems like a silly thought now.  I wish I could tell Ahhnna 2009 that Christmas 2010 would be great.  I know I would have been happy to know how great it really has been.


THREE THINGS:
1. no more need for a store until MONDAY!  woot woot!
2. snowy mornings
3. full tummies

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