Baklava
Author: Jane Pikett
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
- 200g pistachio nuts
- 50g walnuts
- 50g pecans
- 3 tbsp honey
- 200g butter + extra for greasing
- 2 x 270g pack filo pastry
- For the syrup:
- 250g golden caster sugar
- 50g honey
- 2 tsp orange blossom water
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 200ml water
Method
- Place nuts in a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin to break up into tiny bits (not powder).
- Place nuts in a bowl, stir in the honey and a pinch of salt.
- Melt butter in a pan over a low heat.
- Cut the 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 one pack is used.
- Spread the honey and nut mixture over the pastry and press down lightly with the back of a spoon.
- Continue the layering and buttering process with the rest of the filo.
- When all the pastry is used up, pour any remaining butter over the top to finish.
- Cut deep lines into the pastry to create squares or diamond shapes.
- Bake at 180C/Gas 4 for 20 mins, then reduce heat to 150C/Gas 2 and bake for a further 45 mins.
- Near the end of cooking, put all the syrup ingredients in a saucepan.
- Heat gently until the sugar dissolves and boil for 8-10 mins or until it is reduced to the consistency of runny honey.
- When the baklava comes out of the oven, pour the warm syrup over the top.
- Leave it to soak in and serve when cold.
