Sunday 15 December 2013

Baklava (Baklawa)

I have always enjoyed the sweet and sticky taste of Baklava. The crunch of the pastry and nuts just brings a smile to my face. For me, when I think of Baklava, I always think Greece. I was chatting to a work colleague who is from Lebanon and he told me that they have their own style Baklava. Of course, me loving Middle Eastern food and Baklava, couldn't believe my ears.

With the Greek style Baklava, you have spices such as cinnamon and cloves. With the Middle Eastern version, you have things like rose water and orange blossom. Having one of these Baklava after a hearty Tagine just hits the spot, just like an after dinner mint.




Like the Turkish Delight I made for one of my first recipes, this is very sticky, but so much more easy to handle than the Turkish Delight. There is two components to this recipe; the sugar syrup and the Baklava. The best way to do this is to start the Baklava and when it is in the oven, start the sugar syrup.

BAKLAVA

What you need:
1 x 375g packet filo pastry
180g of butter, melted
1 cup of crushed peanuts
1 quantity of sugar syrup HOT (see below)
1/4 cup coarsely ground pistachio nuts

How to:
1) Preheat the oven to 220 degrees C. Cut the filo pastry sheets to the size of your baking tin. Brush the baking tin liberally with melted butter.

2) Layer half the filo pastry sheets in the tin, brushing every second sheet with butter.

3) Spread the peanuts evenly over the pastry.

4) Cover with the remaining filo pastry, again brushing every second sheet with butter. Do not brush the top layer, not yet.

5) With a sharp knife, cut the Baklava into diamonds. Now brush the top with the melted butter.

6) Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180 degrees C and bake for a further 30 minutes or until golden brown. This is the best time to start the sugar syrup.

7) Remove from the oven and pour over the hot sugar syrup. You may hear a sizzling sound - this is normal.

8) Sprinkle the pistachio nuts over the top and allow to cool, then serve.

SUGAR SYRUP

What you need:
400g white sugar
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs of either rose water or orange blossom
1 1/2 cups of water

How to:
1) Bring the sugar, lemon juice and water to the boil over medium heat.

2) Cover and let boil for about 20 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup is thick.

3) Stir in the rose water or orange blossom and remove from the heat.


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1 comment:

  1. This baklava is really looking so gorgeous and tasty. Thank you author for sharing this amazing recipe with us. Also, if you want more tasty baklava then you should try baklava with pistachio it is the best quality baklava that I have ever tried.

    ReplyDelete