This beautiful pastry dish has history in Egypt and the Middle East. Baklava is layers of filo pastry filled with a sweetened mixture of chopped nuts and held together by a flavoured syrup. With touches of rose and orange waters, it strikes a beautiful and fragrant balance.
Function: Circo Therm®
2 cups walnuts, chopped
1 cup pistachio nuts, chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsps caster sugar
1 tbsp orange flower water
375g filo pastry
150g unsalted butter, melted
Sugar syrup
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup water
3 strips lemon peel
2 tsp orange flower water
1 tsp rose water
Combine the walnuts, pistachios, cinnamon, sugar and orange flower water in a bowl and mix well to combine.
Grease a 28cm x 18cm slice pan with butter.
Unroll the filo pastry and cut in half crossway’s not lengthwise. Place one half of the pastry layers on top of the other to form one stack of pastry. Using a sharp knife trim the pastry sheets to a size that will line the pan. Place a clean, slightly damp cloth over the pastry to prevent the sheets from drying out as you are assembling.
Preheat oven on CircoTherm to 180˚c and place the oven rack on shelf 2.
Working with one sheet of pastry at a time, brush each sheet of pastry with some melted butter stacking one on top of the other into the prepared pan.
When you have used one third of the pastry, sprinkle with half of the nut mixture. Repeat with another layer of one third of the pastry sheets, then sprinkle with the remaining nut mix. Continue to layer the remaining third of the pastry on top.
Press the pastry gently with your hands to compress the mixture, then brush the top with melted butter.
Using a sharp knife, score the pastry to form a diamond pattern.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.
While the Bakalva is cooking, make the syrup.
Place the sugar, water and lemon peel into a medium saucepan. Cook over a medium heat, Induction level 5, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved. Boil gently, without stirring for 10 minutes until syrup has slightly thickened. Remove from the heat, then add the orange flower water and rose water and remove the lemon peel.
When the Baklava is cooked, remove from the oven and pour the hot syrup evenly over the top. Allow to cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving.
Bridget has worked in the home appliance industry for more than 15 years. She loves to cook & really enjoys working with customers to help them select appliances to best suit their needs as well as following up with further instruction when the appliances are installed.