BAKLAVA- EASY TURKISH BAKLAVA

Baklava  is a Turkish specialty dessert that  prepared and enjoyed during holidays, weddings and special occasions. It is also customary to take some baklava as a gift when visiting family and friends.

Baklava in Turkey  always made with home made paper thin filo pastry and only pistachio nuts or walnuts used as filling as they are softer in texture.

Today I used mixture  of walnuts, almonds, peanuts, pistachios which I had in my freezer and wanted to used them up. I hope you enjoy making this as much as I did. Makes 23-25 pieces of baklava.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pack of 400 g filo pastry, defrosted if frozen
• 1 cup ( 10 tbsp )melted butter 
• 1 cup chopped nuts
• 1 tsp cinnamon

FOR THE SYRUP ( 1 cup of water = 200 ml and 1 cup of sugar = 200 g )

• 4 cups sugar
• 4 cups water
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

METHOD

Preheat the oven 180C, 160 fan setting. Mix chopped nuts with cinnamon in a bowl.

1) Brush a baking tray with butter. ( I used 32cm x 22 cm tray ). Cut one sheet of filo pastry to fit your baking tray as shown above. Then brush the pastry with butter and place another layer of pastry. Repeat this process with 4 more layers of filo pastry and butter  to make it 6 first layers. Sprinkle the nut mixture to cover the pastry  and layer another 6 sheets of  pastry brushing the each layer with butter. Now sprinkle some more nuts and layer it with 3 or 6 more of the sheets of filo with butter, depending on how much pastry left to use. Brush the top of the last filo with butter.

2) Using a sharp knife, cut the baklava diagonal lines right through all the layers to the bottom, to form small diamond shapes.

3 ) Place baklava into the oven and bake for one hour, until it is golden. While the baklava is  in the oven, make the syrup.

4) Place the sugar and water into a heavy pan and bring it to boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Then turn the heat to low and simmer the syrup for 15 minutes  until it thickens slightly. Add the lemon juice and simmer further 3-5 minutes and take the syrup off the heat. Leave it to cool in the pan.

5) Take the baklava out of the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes. Then pour over the cooled syrup over the baklava and leave it to soak preferably overnight.

6) Re cut the baklava and serve with sprinkled pistachio nuts.