BAKLAVA

Baklava is a pastry dish, typically eaten as a dessert, made from layers of filo pastry, chopped nuts and sweetened with either a honey or sugar syrup.

23 – 25½cm (9-10″) shallow ovenproof tray / dish required.

Ingredients

225g Filo Pastry (Sheets)

50-75g Melted Butter

225g Chopped Pistachios

225g Roughly Chopped Walnuts

½ tsp Ground Cloves

1 tsp (5g) Ground Cinnamon

8 Cloves (Optional)

 

For the Syrup:

4 tbsp (60ml) Odysea Pine & Fir Tree Honey

100g Granulated Sugar

6 tbsp (90ml) Water

2 tbsp (30ml) Lemon Juice

1 tsp (5ml) Vanilla Essence

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C / Gas Mark 4
  2. Mix together the pistachios, walnuts, cinnamon and ground cloves.
  3. Brush the ovenproof dish with some of the melted butter.
  4. Brush a third of the filo sheets with some of the butter and layer into the dish.
  5. Spoon half of the nut mixture onto the filo pastry.
  6. Brush another third of the filo sheets with butter and layer on top of the nuts.
  7. Add the remaining nut mixture.
  8. Finish with the last third of pastry, tucking the ends down the side of the dish.
  9. Score into 8 portions and place a whole clove into the centre of each piece (optional).
  10. Bake for 30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown, then loosely cover with foil to prevent it from burning and bake for a further 20-25 minutes.
  11. Whilst the baklava is in the oven make the honey syrup; dissolve the sugar and honey in the 6tbsp of water over a gentle heat. Allow to bubble for approx 5 mins then remove from the heat and gently stir in the lemon juice and vanilla essence.
  12. Remove the baklava from the oven, whilst still hot carefully and evenly spoon over the warm syrup and then allow to cool.

Also, why not try changing the combination of nuts; for example replace the chopped pistachios with chopped almonds. Also try adding an extra handful of finely chopped nuts over the top.