Is there anything more hedonistic than a slice of Baklava? The gold, frankincense and myrrh of desserts. The history of Baklava is rich and disputed; a national dessert claimed by many different nations with a rich history in the Ottoman kitchens. To read more about the origins of the delicious dessert, this summary of a romantic story by Alexandra M. Lord is a lovely read.
Here is my recipe for my baklava which I served with cardamom cream at the end of a Persian-inspired meal for clients not so long ago – the perfect end to a meal with a pot of fresh mint tea. I find the added citrus takes away some of that toothache inducing sweetness and lifts out the other flavours.
Use a good quality honey if possible with this recipe so you can really taste the individual character of the honey itself. When it comes to nuts, I usually just use whatever I have to hand in the back of the cupboard, however I think the best mix is half walnut for texture, a quarter pistachio for colour and indulgence, a quarter hazelnut for bite and contrast.
Baklava
Course: Baking, DessertCuisine: Middle EasternDifficulty: Medium20
servings20
minutes50
minutesThe gold, frankincense and myrrh of desserts.
Main Ingredients
4 cups mixed nuts, of your choice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp orange zest
1/4 tsp salt
450 g phyllo pastry
1 cup butter
- Syrup Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 lemon – juice of
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup honey
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 orange – peel of
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Prepare your baking pan by brushing the bottom and sides with melted butter.
- Pulse the nuts in a food processor with the spices, orange zest and salt until well chopped/ combined.
- To assemble, place 10 layers of phyllo dough one-by-one on the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan, brushing each lightly with butter.
- Spread 1/5 of the nutty mixture evenly on top (about 2/3 cup).
- Add another 5 layers of phyllo one-by-one, brushing each with butter, then add another layer of nuts.
- Add 5 oiled sheets of phyllo, then another layer of nuts. Repeat x 4. Finish off with 10 layers of buttered phyllo sheets. Brush the very top with butter.
- Bake the baklava for 50 minutes, until golden on the edges and tops.
- In the meantime, bring all the syrup ingredients to a boil in a saucepan, then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let syrup cool whilst the baklava bakes.
- Remove the citrus peels and cinnamon stick, and pour the hot syrup evenly over the baklava.Â
- Let the baklava cool completely at room temperature for 8 hours (uncovered, to prevent sogginess). Serve with whipped coconut cream with cardamom folded into it or vanilla ice cream for a real special touch!
