How to Make Baklava
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It is quite a heavy cake and not one that most of us could eat too much of, so long as we’re aware of that then really, will the odd slice harm us that much!
Where I live there is a delicatessen nearby who sells slices of baklava and about once a month I will pay them a visit and treat myself to a slice.
Of course there are many of you who perhaps don’t have a supplier nearby and there is no way I would like you to miss out on such a delicacy including me, so let’s make the best baklava recipe together.
Top Tip, prepare everything beforehand that you will need.
A 12” x 8” swiss roll/ jelly roll tin
A small saucepan
Measuring cups or scales
Very sharp knife
A bowl to melt some butter in
A pastry brush
A pre-heated oven 160 degrees Centigrade/325 degrees Farenheight/ Gas mark 3
Ingredients for the Base
A 14oz or 400grm packet of frozen filo pastry ready thawed (this is too fiddly to make)
6oz or 175 grams or three quarters of a cup of melted butter
60 mls or 4 large tablespoons of honey
50 g or 2oz or quarter of a cup of caster sugar
10mls or two teaspoons of ground cinnamon
475grms or 17oz or four and a quarter cups of chopped nuts (your choice and can be a selection) plus a few more for sprinkling on the top. Tip: Pistachios are great for sprinkling on top
30mls or two teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice plus the finely grated rind of one whole lemon. Tip: Grate the lemon first
Ingredients for the Syrup
115grms or 4oz or half a cup of honey
350grms or 12oz or one and three quarter cups of caster sugar
600mls or one pint or two and a half cups of water
Finely grated rind of another lemon
Whilst your oven is pre-heating use your pastry brush to grease your baking tin
Cut your sheets of filo pastry with your knife to fit the tin. Tip: Lay your tin on top and cut around the edge
Put one slice in the tin and brush with melted butter, lay another on top and brush this too. Repeat until you have used half your sheets
Pop your lemon juice, honey and sugar into your saucepan and heat them together over a very low heat until they are fully melted.
Stir in your cinnamon, grated lemon and your nuts mixing them altogether
Pour or spread half this syrup mixture over the buttered sheets in your baking tin
Pile three more of your filo sheets on top of this buttering each one as you go then top with the rest of your syrup mixture
Add the remaining sheets of filo on top again buttering them as you go
Using your sharp knife score the top into sections, this makes it easier to cut them when they have cooked
Pop them into your oven to cook for approximately an hour until they look crisp and golden brown. Tip: check after fifty minutes because not all ovens are equal
Using your syrup ingredients put them all into a saucepan stirring over a low heat until they have all melted together. Then turn the heat up and bring them to the boil, simmer them together allowing them to bubble for around ten minutes.
This makes the most delicious syrup which will thicken slightly. Take it off the top of your stove and leave to one side to cool off a little.
Remove you baklava from your oven and pour your syrup all over the top. I know at this point it becomes difficult in as much as you want to eat it now but hold off by leaving it overnight.
Sprinkle your remaining nuts over the top and cut it into the sections you scored with your knife, place on a serving plate and eat.
Where did baklava come from? There are many countries who believe this wonderful concoction originated in theirs.
History of baklava tells us it originated by way of Assyrian origin around the 8th century and spread near and towards the Middle East, Armenia, Turkey and Greece.
It matters not today where it originated from, we should just be happy it did and we can make, eat and enjoy it just for tea, when we fancy a slice or just for special occasions.
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