BAKLAVA - BAKLAVAS

Baklava is probably the most famous of all Greek desserts and deservedly so. It has been around since ancient times. Little diamonds of crisp fillo pastry, layered with a filling of walnuts and drenched in an aromatic honey syrup. Just the thought of it has my taste buds remembering the exquisite flavour.

Ingredients

  400g walnuts, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
150-200g butter, melted
@18 sheets fillo pastry Syrup
400ml water
400g sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4-5 tablespoons honey

Preparation

Select a large oblong roasting tray, approx 35 x 25 cm.
If the fillo pastry is frozen, you will need to thaw it, but keep a clean dry cloth over it as you work to keep it from drying out.Grease the bottom and sides of baking tray.Mix the walnuts, cinnamon and sugar in a bowl.
Taking one sheet of fillo at a time, brush the melted butter very thinly all over the top of the pastry.
Lay in the baking tray, if it is too wide or long, hang it over the sides for now.
Repeat with the fillo until there are five sheets of pastry in the tray.
Spread half the walnut filling evenly over the pastry.
Add three more sheets of filo pastry, brushing each layer with melted butter before adding to the tray.
Spread the remainder of the walnut mixture over the pastry.
If there is any excess pastry up the sides of the tray or hanging over the tray, fold them in over the walnut filling.
If the pastry is a lot larger than the tray, cut the sheets of pastry down to just a tiny bit wider and longer than the tray (to allow for shrinkage when cooking).
Finish by adding about 8 or 10 more sheets of fillo on top, buttering each sheet every time. If the pastry sheets are a bit too big, just fold them back over themselves each time.
With a sharp knife, carefully cut small diamond or square shapes, only cutting through the top few layers. This will make it much easier to slice once cooked.
Take a cup of cold water and using your fingers, sprinkle a little water over the top of the baklava. This will help prevent the cut pastry from curling up whilst cooking.
Place the baking tray in a preheated oven, 180 C, for 30 to 45 minutes, until golden. I would suggest that you start checking the baklava after 25 minutes as I do find the time can vary greatly in different ovens.
In the meanwhile, boil all the syrup ingredients except the honey in a saucepan for about 5 minutes.
Add the honey and simmer for another 5 minutes until thickened slightly.
Remove the cinnamon sticks.
When the baklava is ready, remove from the oven and whilst still hot, pour the syrup over the baklava whilst still in the baking tray.
Cut the slices through to the bottom.
Leave to cool completely in the tray, soaking in the aromatic syrup.
Remove the slices one at a time from the tray.
Baklava will keep for 2-3 days, at room temperature.
An alternative filling could include a mixture of walnuts and pistachios.