Baklava

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"Beautiful baklava with the perfect balance of crispy fillo, roasted nuts and aromatic spices... and only has a touch of syrup."
-- @kaliorexi
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  • Recipe Card
Prep time 45mins
Cook time 45mins
Serves or Makes: 35

Recipe Card

For the baklava

ingredients

  • 600 gram coursely ground or chopped walnuts
  • 100 gram finely ground or chopped almonds
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 2 tablespoons white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 250 gram unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 375 gram chilled fillo pastry

For the syrup

ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 10 whole cloves
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • few drops lemon juice
  • 1 thick lemon slice

Making the baklava

Method

  • Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 170ºC.

  • Step 2

    Combine the walnuts, almonds, sesame seeds, sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl. Mix together with a spoon. Set the nut mixture aside.

  • Step 3

    Melt the butter on a medium flame. Remove from the flame and add the oil. Mix together with a spoon. Set the basting mixture aside.

  • Step 4

    Remove the fillo pastry from its packaging and lay it flat between two moistened tea towels.

  • Step 5

    Place one sheet of fillo pastry on your work surface in a landscape orientation. Use a basting brush to baste the fillo sheet with the basting mixture. Place a second sheet of fillo pastry directly on top of the first one and baste that sheet. Place a third sheet of fillo pastry on top of the first two and baste that sheet. Spread a thin, even layer of the nut mixture across the bottom half of the fillo pastry sheet. Place a fourth and final sheet of fillo pastry on top of the other three and baste that sheet. Spread another thin, even layer of the nut mixture across the bottom half of that fillo pastry sheet as well.

  • Step 6

    Roll over the nut-covered end of the fillo pastry by around 2cm and baste the rolled edge with some of the basting mixture.

  • Step 7

    Continue to roll the fillo pastry tightly to form a long roll. Place the open edge of the roll at the bottom to avoid the roll unravelling.

  • Step 8

    Set the baklava roll aside without over-handling it.

  • Step 9

    Repeat basting, filling and rolling the remaining sheets.

Cutting the baklava

  • Step 1

    Place one roll of baklava on a chopping board. Use a sharp, serrated knife to slice the baklava into evenly sized parallelograms of around 3cm in length. Use the blade of the knife or a long, thin spatula to pick up 3 pieces of baklava and place in line onto a greased, shallow baking tray (avoid over-handling the baklava to ensure the nut mixture does not fall out).

  • Step 2

    Repeat for the remaining rolls of baklava.

Baking the baklava

  • Step 1

    Brush some of the remaining basting mixture on top of all of the pieces of baklava and pour the remaining basting mixture onto the baking tray around the baklava.

  • Step 2

    Place the baking tray on the middle shelf of the oven (preheated to 170ºC) and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until golden brown.

Making the syrup

  • Step 1

    The syrup needs to be warm when the baklava comes out of the oven so start preparing the syrup about 20 minutes after the baklava has been placed into the oven.

  • Step 2

    Place the water into a deep pot over a medium flame and add the sugar. Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves. Add the cinnamon and cloves. Stir the mixture again. Once the syrup reaches boiling point (is bubbling), boil it for exactly 6 minutes. Add the honey, lemon juice and lemon slice. Boil for another 2 minutes exactly.

  • Step 3

    Remove the syrup from the flame and place it on your work surface.

  • Step 4

    Allow the syrup to cool for around 5 minutes before you drench the baklava.

Drenching the baklava

  • Step 1

    Remove the lemon slice and cinnamon stick from the syrup.

  • Step 2

    Remove the baklava from the oven and place it on your work surface.

  • Step 3

    Use tongs to pick up a piece of baklava and place it into the syrup. Turn the piece of baklava over a few times in the syrup to ensure that the syrup seeps through the piece of baklava completely. Remove the piece from the syrup and place it onto a clean tray. Repeat for all of the pieces of baklava.

Completing the baklava

  • Step 1

    Allow the baklava to cool for a couple of hours before eating so the syrup thickens.

  • Step 2

    Baklava can keep for up to a week, but good luck resisting the temptation to eat it all before then!

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