Ingredients
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100g Walnuts
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100g Almonds
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100g Pistachios
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2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
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1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
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200g Melted Butter
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12 sheets filo pastry2 x 270g packets
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300g Caster Sugar
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100ml Greek Honey
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1 stick Cinnamon Stick
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2 strips Orange Zest
Directions
For the last recipe of this season we chose Baklava. Baklava are little filo stacks of sticky loveliness served as a dessert. This dessert is thought to have originated from Turkey, but Baklava is eaten widely across the Middle East with a variety fillings and spices. We used a mixed nut filling and made our syrup with honey, orange zest and cinnamon as suggested by Jamie Oliver‘s recipe.
Baklava is a fun thing to make with the children – mine loved painting the butter on to the filo pastry sheets, layering them and then adding the nut mixture. This was on a par with the Apfel Strudel recipe.
Steps
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1
Done
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Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Place all the syrup ingredients in a medium saucepan with 300ml of water and bring to a gentle simmer. Let it bubble away, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by a third. Leave to cool. (The syrup must be cool when it is poured over the pastry otherwise the pastry will go soggy). |
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2
Done
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Blitz the nuts in a food processor until coarse, then tip into a bowl and stir through the cinnamon and cloves. |
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3
Done
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Lightly grease a 40 x 25cm shallow tin with the melted butter (using a pastry brush if you have one). Gently unfold the filo and cover with a damp tea towel to stop it cracking. |
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4
Done
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Layer sheets of filo in the tin and brush each layer with melted butter. After 4 layers, scatter over half the nut mixture; repeat with 4 layers of filo, then the rest of the nuts. Top with the last 4 layers of filo, then generously butter the top. Cut into diamonds with a sharp knife – ensure the blade goes right to the bottom. |
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5
Done
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Bake on the middle shelf of the oven on a hot baking sheet for 30–35 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp, reducing the temperature to 170C/gas 3 if the baklava looks as though it is browning too quickly. |
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6
Done
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Remove the baklava from the oven and spoon half the cooled syrup over the top. Leave for 5 minutes, then spoon over the remaining syrup. Allow the baklava to cool before removing the individual pieces from the dish with a palette knife. |
