Baklava - Baklavas
2017-06-23 09:49:43
The perfect ending to a delicious Greek meal.
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Base
- 14 ounces (400 grams) walnuts, coarsely chopped
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 - 1/2 cup (150-200 grams) butter, melted
- 18 sheets fillo pastry
Syrup
- 400 ml water
- 2 cups (400 grams) sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 4-5 tablespoons honey
Preparation
- Select a large oblong baking dish (9x13). Grease the bottom and sides of dish.
- If 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.
Instructions
- 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 pasty.
- 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 sheet of fillo 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 pasty 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 pasty 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 cooling.
- Place the baking tray in a preheated oven, 350 degrees/180 Celsius for 30-45 minutes, until golden. Start checking the Baklava after 25 minutes.
Syrup
- During the baking time, boil all the syrup ingredients except the honey in a saucepan for about five (5) minutes.
- Add the honey and simmer for another five (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.
Notes
- Baklava will keep for 2-3 days, at room temperature.
- As an alternative filling, use a mixture of walnuts and pistachios.
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Baklava – Baklavas