Baklava
Baklava – known in Egypt as Baklowa Golash
Baklava is one of the easiest sweets to make
Baklava is one of the easiest sweets you could ever make. You just buy the filo pastry, ready to use. You just need to be able to drizzle, sprinkle and layer.
Gorgeously sweet & buttery, micro-thin crispy pastry, layered with delicious nuts makes Baklava a firm favourite.
*It’s up to you what sort of nuts you use; pistachios are great but a bit expensive. Walnuts and hazelnuts are probably my favourites. But the choice is yours. You could also use a mix.
Ingredients
- 1 pack of filo pastry
- 1 cup melted butter
- 500g chopped nuts
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- zest of ½ a lemon
Equipment
A deep baking tray 30cm x 20cm
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C
Butter the bottom and sides of a 20cm x 30 cm baking tray.
Toss the chopped nuts and cinnamon together.
Unroll the filo pastry and lay it on the work top.
*You will need to work fast to avoid the pastry drying out.
cut the filo pastry in half to fit the baking tray
Cut the whole pile of the filo pastry in half so that they are the size of the baking tray.
lay the sheets of pastry on top of each other – buttering as you go
Place one sheet of the pastry in the baking tray and then drizzle a little of the melted butter over it. Repeat this process until you have 8 layers of pastry in the baking tray.
begin layering the nuts into your baklava
Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of the nut mixture on top.
Top the nuts with 2 sheets of pastry – buttering as you go.
Sprinkle more nuts and then follow with 2 more sheets of filo and butter. Keep repeating the nuts and 2 layers and butter until you have just 8 sheets left.
Lay these last layers on and butter as you go.
its important to cut your baklava before you cook it
Using a sharp knife cut your baklava into 4 long rows.
Then cut rows at a 45 degree angle to form diamonds.
*Its really important to cut the diamonds before it goes in the oven as the pastry will just shatter if you try to cut it after cooking.
Bake until golden brown
Put your baklava into the oven to bake for about 50 minutes until it’s beautifully golden and crisp.
While it’s cooking, make that syrup
Whilst your baklava is cooking make the syrup.
Put the water and sugar into a small pan and bring it to the boil. Stir to ensure the sugar has dissolved. Add the vanilla, and lemon zest and simmer gently for about 20 minutes to allow the syrup to reduce and thicken up. It needs to reach the consistency of runny honey. *If it’s too watery your baklava will become soggy.
drizzle the syrup over your baklava while it’s still hot
Once the baklava is cooked remove it from the oven and gradually drizzle the syrup all over it a little at a time, whilst it’s still hot. – Adding the syrup gradually allows the pastry to absorb the syrup and stay crisp. If you add the syrup all at once the pastry will just become waterlogged and soggy.
your Baklava is now ready all you have to do is let it cool down
Allow your baklava to cool before serving.
Baklava is best served on the same day or the next day (if it lasts that long).
- Don’t store baklava in the fridge as this will cause the buttered layers to harden.
*Although this recipes uses just nuts for the filling you could also use dried fruit. Dates are also delicious and develop a wonderful caramel-like creation.
I do hope you try this recipe, it’s incredibly easy and yet tastes so good.
Let us know how you got on & share your photos. We love hearing from you.