Denise says:

These are little traditional Greek filo pastries filled with chopped nuts and honey syrup and are very popular with the Sephardi community. Despite being rather sweet, they are quite irresistible and taste just divine cut up into mouth sized pieces and served with Greek yoghurt or ice cream. Although Baklava is expensive to buy in the shops, they are easier than you may think to make at home using this recipe and so much more economical.

However do take care : filo pastry dries out very quickly so work fast and only take out a few sheets out at a time, keeping the rest covered with a damp cloth or cling film.

Preparation Time:30 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 10 – 12 people

Will Freeze
Can be parev

Ingredients:

175g blanched almonds
175g shelled pistachio nuts
110g granulated sugar
350g unsalted butter - melted
450g filo pastry

For the syrup
175g honey
110g sugar
60ml rosewater
250ml water
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Garnish
2 tablespoons pistachio nuts – roughly chopped

Method

1)Grease and line a Swiss roll tin measuring approximately 30 cm/ 13 cm long x 20cm/ 8 inches.
2)Put the almonds, pistachio nuts and sugar in the food processor. Pulse together so they are roughly chopped. Set aside.
3)Cut the filo pastry to fit the baking sheet. Place 1 layer of pastry on the bottom of the tin. Brush with the melted butter. Repeat twice and then sprinkle 3 tablespoons of the chopped nuts evenly over the pastry.
4)Continue building up layers in the same way, finishing with 3 layers of pastry on top. You will need a total of 12 sheets of pastry.
5)Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
6)Pre-heat the oven to 180 C/ 350 F / Gas mark 4.
7)After refrigeration, cut through the baklava with parallel diagonal lines and then cross them to form diamond shapes.
8)Bake until golden brown 25 – 30 minutes.
9)Cut through the layers as marked out in the diamond shape.
10)Whilst the baklava is baking, heat all the syrup ingredients together. Simmer for 10 minutes and cool.
11)Pour the syrup over the warm dessert.

To serve the stylish way: Decorate with roughly chopped pistachio nuts. Serve hot, cold or warm with Greek yogurt.
Tagged in: Desserts, Honey, Parev, Rosh Hashanah, Tea