Old Fashioned Baklava
If you want to serve up a showstopping dessert, then make this old fashioned baklava! Layers of chopped walnuts and cinnamon are sandwiched between filo pastry sheets that are drenched in melted butter, baked, and then smothered in a honey syrup that soaks into the nuts and pastry. If you or your family have a sweet tooth, then you’ll be in heaven with this Greek favorite.
Instructions
Trim filo pastry dough to 13 x 9 inches and cover with a damp towel.
Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with 1 tbsp. melted butter and set aside.
Combine sugar, lemon juice, water, and honey in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring so that the sugar dissolves.
Trim filo pastry dough to 13 x 9 inches and cover with a damp towel.
Once it has boiled, reduce the heat to low and let simmer for another 4 minutes without stirring.
Remove pan from heat and set aside to cool until the nuts and pastry have been baked.
Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with 1 tbsp. melted butter and set aside.
Preheat oven to 325 F/150C fan/gas mark 3.
Put the nuts into a food processor, and pulse until chopped finely.
Combine sugar, lemon juice, water, and honey in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring so that the sugar dissolves.
Combine chopped nuts and cinnamon in a medium bowl and stir to mix well.
Lay 10 filo sheets one at a time into the prepared baking dish, brushing each sheet with melted butter in between layers.
Once it has boiled, reduce the heat to low and let simmer for another 4 minutes without stirring.
Spread 3/4 cup of the walnut mixture onto the filo dough in an even layer.
Lay another 5 sheets of filo dough over the top of the walnut mixture, brushing with butter between layers, and top with another 3/4 cup of the walnut mixture.
Remove pan from heat and set aside to cool until the nuts and pastry have been baked.
Repeat until walnut mixture is used up and finish off with 10 sheets of buttered filo dough on the last layer of nuts.
Brush the top layer with butter. Slice pastry into 1 1/2 inch strips with a sharp knife, and then slice diagonally in both directions to create diamonds.
Preheat oven to 325 F/150C fan/gas mark 3.
Bake uncovered for 85 minutes (1 hour 25 minutes) or until the pastry is golden in color.
Immediately after removing the baklava from the oven, drizzle the cooled honey syrup over the pastry in an even layer, making sure you get some of the syrup at the edges of the pastry too.
Put the nuts into a food processor, and pulse until chopped finely.
Let cool completely and serve.
Notes
You can freeze this baklava once it’s cooked and cooled. Put slices in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 5 months. To defrost, remove as many slices as you need and allow to defrost at room temperature for a few hours.
