Baklava
Baklava does not have to be the sickly-sweet 'lump' that it all too often is. Use a good quality honey, plenty of.moist, fresh nuts, include some wine in the syrup and add some spices and lime rind and juice to relieve the sweetness and you have a luscious pastry. An unconventional addition that I use occasionally is a layer of sliced fresh figs or nectarines placed on the last layer of filling.
INGREDIENTS
225 G/8 OZ UNSALTED
BUTTER, MELTED
1 X 450 G/1 LB PACKET PHYLLO (FILO) PASTRY (ABOUT 20 SHEETS)
FILLING:
225 G/8 OZ PISTACHIO NUTS,
FINELY CHOPPED
225 G/8 OZ BLANCHED
ALMONDS, FINELY CHOPPED
50 G/13/1 07 LIGHT
MUSCOVADO SUGAR
1 TSP GROUND CINNAMON PINCH OF GROUND CLOVES
SYRUP:
225 G/8 OZ VANILLA SUGAR 350 G/1 2 OZ CLEAR FLOWER HONEY
173 ML/6 FL 07. WATER OR A FRUITY-FLOWERY DRY WHITE WINE, SUCH AS CHENIN SLANG
GRATED RIND AND JUICE
OF 2 LIMES
DIRECTIONS:
Set the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas
For the filling, mix together the nuts, sugar and spices.
Brush a 22.5 x 32 cm/9 x 13 inch baking tin with melted butter, then line the tin with a third of the sheets of phyllo pastry. brushing each sheet with melted butter and pressing the pastry well into the sides and corners of the tin. Cover with half the filling. Repeat the layering once more, using up the rest of the filling, then cover with the remaining pastry sheets. Trim excess pastry with a sharp knife or scissors.
Brush the top with melted butter and, with the point of a sharp knife, score approximately 5 cm/2 inch diamonds, to a depth of 1.25 cm/1/2 inch. Bake for about 11/4-11/2 hours until golden and crisp.
To make the syrup, gently heat the sugar and honey in the water or wine, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the sugar and honey have dissolved, then bring to the boil without stirring. Boil for 3 minutes. Stir in the lime.juice and rind. Leave to cool.
Pour the syrup over the baklava as soon as it is taken from the oven and run a fine sharp knife along the score lines so the syrup flows through. Leave to cool in the tin.
Just before serving, use a sharp knife to cut right down through the score lines to the bottom of the baklava to separate the number of pieces required. However, try riot to eat the baklava too quickly as it continues to improve for up to about 10 days if left in the tin in which it was baked and kept covered in a cool place.
