BAKLAVA

Makes 1 large tray

Baklava is a delicious nut based phyllo sweet that is the prefect afternoon pick-me-up. Its origin is unclear but it’s popular in Greece, Turkey and the Middle East. Each country has a different variation. I love mine with a mixture of nuts and rosewater for a fragrant, nutty sweet treat!

Have it with ice cream or serve it by itself with a Greek coffee!

Ingredients:

• 30 sheets of phyllo dough

• 500g of mixed walnuts, pistachio and almonds

• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 2 tsp of ground cloves

• 300g melted unsalted butter

For syrup:

• 500g caster sugar

• 300g water

• 100g honey

• the peel of 1 orange (no pith)

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1 tsp rose water (optional)

Method

Step 1: Make nut mix

Place your 500g of mixed nuts in a food processor and pulse until they resemble a fine chop, then mix in 2 tsp of ground cinnamon and 2 tsp of ground cloves.

Step 2: Layer your baklava

Melt your 300g of unsalted butter and with a pastry brush, brush the sides and bottom of a large baking tray to prevent the baklava from sticking, then begin to layer you're baklava. Taking one sheet of phyllo dough at a time place it on the bottom of the bottom of the baking tray, then brush with your melted butter. Repeat this until you have 10 sheets of phyllo as your base, then sprinkle a layer of the nut mixture. Continue with another 10 sheets of phyllo, remembering to brush each sheet with butter. After the 10 sheets do another layer of the nut mixture. Finally top with the last 10 sheets of phyllo brushed with butter.

Step 3: Chill and cut

Once your Baklava is layered, place into the fridge for 15 minutes so that it will be easier to cut. Remove from the fridge then with a sharp knife cut into small squares or triangles. Make sure to cut all the way down to the bottom of the baking tray.

Step 4: Bake

Sprinkle cold water on top of baklava and bake at 150oC for 1 hr 30 mins, until all the layers of phyllo are golden.

Step 5: Make Syrup

Add 500g of caster sugar and 300g of water to a medium saucepan, along with the peel of 1 orange and 1 cinnamon stick. Place on a medium heat, bring to the boil and boil for 2 minutes until all the sugar has dissolved. Take it off the heat and then stir through 100g of honey. Chill in the fridge.

Step 6: Finish baklava

Once the baklava is golden, remove from the oven and ladle the cold syrup over the hot baklava, until fully absorbed. Chill and enjoy!