December 21, 2023

Baklava Rolls

Baklava rolls, are better known in Egypt as Goulash. They’re a beautiful crispy layered filo pastry dessert. Filled with chopped nuts & bathed in a scented syrup, they’re sensational. They’re one of the most popular sweets in Egypt.

Although they look incredibly complex, Baklava Rolls are possibly the easiest sweet pastries to make. You simply buy the pastry ready made. All you have to do is butter, sprinkle and roll. Couldn’t be easier!

Ingredients

1 pack of filo pastry
250g butter – melted
200g chopped nuts – choose whichever nuts are your favourite

For the Syrup

2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Decoration for your Baklava Rolls

A handful of chopped nuts (optional)

Here’s how to make Baklava Rolls

Pre-heat your oven to 160 degrees C

First, let’s make the syrup for your Baklava Rolls

Make the syrup by heating the sugar, water and cinnamon in a saucepan.

Once the liquid comes to the boil, turn the heat right down and simmer gently for about 15 minutes, until the syrup has the consistency of honey.

*You don’t want the syrup to be too watery because it will make the Baklava go soggy.

Take the syrup off the heat and allow it to cool down to be used later.

Butter your roasting tray

Prepare a large roasting tray for your baklava rolls by buttering the bottom and sides well.

Now for the amazingly micro-thin Filo pastry

Un-wrap your filo pastry and lay it out on your work surface.

Cut the whole pile of pastry down the centre – creating 2 equal piles of pastry 20cm x 30cm .

Put one pile on top of the other one.

*You’ll need to work fast to avoid the pastry drying out and becoming brittle.

Begin buttering up your sheets of Filo Pastry, one by one

Take the top sheet of filo pastry and lay it on the work surface with the narrow edge towards you.

Dab the melted butter on to it – but don’t butter it thoroughly, just dab it.

Take your 2nd sheet of filo pastry and lay it directly on the 1st buttered sheet.

Also dab the melted butter onto this sheet.

Sprinkle a very small handful of nuts over the buttered filo.

Lift the edge of the pastry nearest you & loosely roll it up like a swiss roll.

Lay your baklava rolls tidily in rows in the roasting tray.

Repeat the process

Repeat this process with the remaining pastry.

Carry on buttering, layering, sprinkling and rolling until all your pastry is used up.

Pack the baklava rolls tightly into your roasting tray.

Sprinkle the remaining melted butter over the rolled pastries.

It’s important to cut your Baklava Rolls BEFORE you cook them

Using a sharp knife cut your Baklava Rolls into equal portions.

*It’s really important to cut the Baklava BEFORE it goes into the oven, because once the pastry’s cooked it will become beautifully crispy, so unfortunately it would simply shatter if you tried to cut it then.

Bake your Baklava Rolls until golden brown

Bake your Baklava Rolls in the pre-heated for about 45 minutes until they become a beautiful golden brown.

Bathe your golden brown Baklava Rolls in the fragrant syrup

As soon you take the Baklava Rolls out of the oven, slowly drizzle the cooled syrup over the hot pastries.

Do this a little at a time. Spooning the syrup over gradually gives the pastry a chance to absorb the syrup and stay crisp – if you just throw it on, all at once, the pastry will just go soggy.

Don’t wash up your pan

Don’t start the washing-up just yet.

The little bit of syrup left on the sides of your pan still has an important role.

Toast your nuts

Toast the nuts you are using for decoration in a dry pan (i.e. no oil) just for a minute or so, over a medium flame. Keep stirring them as you do.

Once they’re roasted, toss the nuts into the syrup pan and stir them round so that they get a light coating of syrup.

Decorate

Decorate your beautiful crispy golden baklava by sprinkling the syrup coated nuts over them.

Now for the most difficult part

Yes this is the most difficult part of this whole recipe!

Now, you need to allow your baklava rolls to cool for about an hour before you start eating them.

Enjoy!

Don’t store your baklava in the fridge because that will make the buttered layers go hard.
Baklava rolls are best served on the same day or the next day (if it lasts that long).