Baklava

This rich mediterranean pastry is great to serve with a good cup of tea or coffee. Sweet, sticky and crunchy - you really should try it.

Syrup:
225 g. sugar
300 ml. water
3 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. orange blossom water
140 g. almonds, blanched, coarsely chopped
160 g. walnuts, roasted, coarsely chopped
55 g. brown sugar
1 tsp. grounded cinnamon
1 package (about 20 sheets) phyllo pastry
80 g. butter, melted

Start with the syrup. Heat the sugar, water and lemon juice in a pot on low heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Boil for about 5 minutes until it thickens. Add orange blossom water and honey and let it simmer for another 5 minutes. Cool ( the cooler the better).

Set your oven to 180 C.

Put the almonds and walnut in a bowl with the brown sugar and cinnamon and mix it well.

Butter a false-bottomed cake pan (or use any form you have). Take one sheet of phyllo at a time, brush the melted butter very thinly over the top of the pastry. Place 10 layers until you spread half the walnut/almond filling evenly over the top layer.Add four more sheets of phyllo, brushing each layer with melted butter before you use the remainder of the filling. Now place the rest of your phyllo sheets on top, well-buttered, and finish off by carefully cutting small diamond shapes with a sharp knife.

Place in the oven for about 35 - 40 minutes. When it’s finished and still very hot pour the cooled syrup over the baklava - it will make a sizzling sound. Leave to cool before you remove the sides of the cake pan.