Middle Eastern · serves 2

Baklava

Cold syrup onto hot baklava. Get that the wrong way round and it goes soggy.

65 min A proper cook Vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 50g walnuts
  • 50g pecans
  • 100g almonds
  • 100g pistachios
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 375g filo pastry
  • 200g butter, melted
  • Syrup: 300ml water, 300g sugar, 100ml honey, 1 cinnamon stick

Method

  1. Pulse all the nuts to a coarse crumb and mix with the cinnamon.
  2. Keep the filo under a damp cloth throughout.
  3. Four buttered layers of filo in the tray, half the nuts, four more buttered layers, the rest of the nuts, four more layers on top.
  4. Cut into diamonds all the way through before baking. You cannot cut it neatly afterwards.
  5. 180°C for 30 minutes until golden.
  6. Boil the syrup ingredients for 10 minutes and cool it completely.
  7. Pour cold syrup over the hot baklava. Leave several hours to soak.

Questions people ask about Baklava

How long does Baklava take?

About 65 minutes from starting to sitting down, and it is a proper cook. A good part of that is unattended, so you can get on with something else once it is going.

Can I make Baklava ahead of time?

You can prepare it a few hours ahead and reheat gently. It keeps two days in the fridge, though it is best on the day.

Is Baklava vegetarian?

Yes, it is vegetarian. It is not vegan as written because it contains dairy; swap the dairy for a plant alternative and the rest of the method is unchanged.

Do I need an oven for Baklava?

Yes, this one needs an oven. If you do not have one, look at the no-oven filter on the baking page: eleven of the bakes here are built for a cooker, a pan or the fridge.

What do you serve with Baklava?

Flatbread, and a sharp salad to cut the richness. Baking is chemistry, so scale it by weight rather than by eye: double every quantity, use a tin with roughly double the area, and expect to add ten minutes or so. Judge it by the skewer, not the clock.

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