A layered pastry dish – layers of filo filled with chopped nuts and soaked with a syrup. This is a sticky honey flavoured indulgence for those special moments.
1 pack filo pastry sheets
250 grams unsalted butter, melted
225 grams ground walnuts, make sure you do not grind too finely
Syrup
500 ml cold water
675 grams unrefined caster sugar
45 ml (3 tbsp) fresh lemon juice (I often use lime or orange – or a combination)
1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC, *375ºF, gas mark 5(.
2. Require – ovenproof dish with a 3 litre capacity, approximately – buttered
3. Syrup – pour the water and sugar in a saucepan, bring to the boil, continue boiling for about 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, remove from the heat. Stir in the citrus juice, transfer to a heatproof jug or bowl to cool.
4. To assemble and bake the Baklava:
- Cut the pastry into rectangles the size of the bottom of the chosen ovenproof dish.
- Place one sheet in the bottom, brush with melted butter, top with a second sheet, continue this process until you have a layer of six sheets, all buttered.
- Sprinkle with nuts.
- Continue layering until the dessert is 5 cm high (or 2 inches).
- The important part is to generously butter each layer of pastry after adding to the dish.
- Cut the Baklava into triangles – one serving size.
- Slowly – in a thin steam – pour remaining melted butter evenly over the dessert.
- Bake in the preheated oven for between 40 to 45 minutes – the dessert should be golden brown on the top.
- Take out of the oven, allow to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Slowly and carefully – in a thin steady stream – pour the lukewarm syrup over the dessert./li>
- Leave to cool completely – the dessert should have soaked up all the syrup.
