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Teen chef braves bout with cancer to give back to Make-a-Wish kids like him

Teen's Make-a-Wish trip brings about a cooking career. And the teen is giving back by selling a special dessert.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (KTHV) - The Vault is one of the swankiest restaurants in downtown Hot Springs and that’s exactly where you’ll find 17-year-old Colton Miller making his signature baklava. Like the sweet treat, Colton’s story has layers. His passion to puree and poach started in a hospital bed.

While fighting brain cancer, Colton spent hours watching The Food Network. His first real taste of the culinary craft came when the Make-A-Wish Foundation flew him to Greece to meet with some of the most talented Chefs in the world.

Now, a healthy Colton is honing his skills at The Vault where his baklava is on the menu every night. The proceeds from the dessert go back to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. In a year, those funds will hopefully be enough to grant a wish to another child.

“I’ll just help out any way I can because when I went on that trip, it was one way to get out of the sickness that you’re dealing with at that moment and it was just really helpful for me,” said Colton.

Thanks to an early introduction to the restaurant industry, this next generation cook has no plans of hanging up his chef’s hat anytime soon.

INGREDIENTS

For the baklava:

• Chopped nuts (walnuts & pistachios are best)

• 1 lb of phyllo dough

• 1 cup of butter, melted

• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

• ½ cup breadcrumbs

For the syrup:

• 1 cup of water

• 1 cup of sugar

• 1/2 cup of honey

• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice

• Finely ground pistachios for garnish (optional)

METHOD

1 Lightly grease pan and set the oven to 350°F.

2 Thaw the phyllo dough according to manufacturer's directions (this may take overnight). When thawed, roll out the dough and cut the dough in half so the sheets will fit in the pan. Cover with a damp towel to keep it from drying out.

3 Process the nuts until in small, even sized pieces. Combine with breadcrumbs, cinnamon. In a separate bowl, melt the butter.

4 Place a sheet of phyllo dough into the pan. Using a pastry brush, brush the phyllo sheet with melted butter. Repeat 7 more times until it is 8 sheets thick, each sheet being "painted" with the butter.

5 Spoon on a layer of the nut mixture and pat down. Cover with two more sheets of phyllo, brushing each one with butter. Continue to repeat the nut mixture and two buttered sheets of phyllo until the nut mixture is all used up. The top layer should be 8 phyllo sheets thick, each sheet being individually buttered. Do not worry if the sheets crinkle up a bit, it will just add more texture. (NOTE: phyllo to nut mixture is different than Colton’s ratio)

6 Cut into 24 equal sized squares using a sharp knife. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until lightly golden brown, and edges appear slightly crisp.

7 While baking, make the syrup. Combine the sugar, lemon juice, honey, and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low heat and let simmer for 7 minutes and slightly thickened.

8 Spoon the cooled syrup over the hot baklava and let cool for a few hours. Garnish with nuts if desired.

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