Baklava - Traditional Middle Eastern Pastry
Baklava is a unique but delicious dessert known for its layers of flaky pastry and nutty filling. It is made by stacking thin Phyllo pastry sheets with finely chopped nuts, such as walnuts or pistachios. Once baked, the baklava is drizzled with a sweet syrup, often flavored with rosewater or orange blossom water.
Ingredients - serves 24 pieces
For the baklava
- 1 pound chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, or pistachios, or a combination of them)
- 1 pound phyllo dough, thawed
- 1 cup butter, melted
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/3 tsp ground cloves
For the syrup:
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Finely ground pistachios for garnish (optional)
Instructions
1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and grease a 21cm x 21cm square cake tin with butter. Chop the nuts into small pieces using a food processor, taking care not to blitz them to a paste. Put them into a bowl, stir in the honey and a pinch of salt and set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a pan over a low heat. Cut the first pack of filo pastry sheets in half (so that they fit the tin). Put one sheet in the tin and brush with the melted butter. Lay another sheet on top and brush with butter again, keep layering like this until the whole pack is used up.
3. Spread the honey and nut mixture over the pastry and press it down lightly with the back of a spoon. Open the other pack of filo, cut in half and continue the layering and buttering process. When you reach the last sheet pour any remaining butter over the top to finish. Use a sharp knife to cut deep lines into the pastry to create either squares or diamond shapes then bake in the oven for 20 mins.
4. Reduce the heat to 150C/130C fan/gas 2 and bake for a further 45 mins. While the baklava cooks put all the syrup ingredients into a saucepan and add 200ml water. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved then boil the mixture for 8-10 mins or until it has reduced to the consistency of runny honey.
5. When the baklava comes out of the oven, pour the warm syrup over the top, allowing it to run into the lines you have cut. Leave it to soak in and serve when it’s completely cold.
despite the dessert having its middle east and mediterranean origins, The combination of crispy pastry, nutty goodness, and syrupy sweetness makes baklava a popular treat enjoyed worldwide.
