BAKLAVA RECIPE

Baklava now that sounds like an unusual name but I can guarantee you that it tastes just wonderful. This sounds like it would be a hard recipe but it is not and it looks really good. The Baklava is good if your having some friends over as it goes a long way, and to top it off serve just a scoop of icecream with it. Some of my family even like the Baklava just with a dollop of cream as it is quite sweet without the icecream, but whatever you like to serve it with go right ahead. The Baklava is good with custard to.

Baklava Ingredients

SYRUP:
4 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 tsp lemon juice

FILLING:
1 lb chopped walnuts
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

DOUGH:
1 lb fillo pastry
1 lb butter unsalted and melted

Baklava Method

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Then make the syrup by boiling the water and sugar for 15 minutes and then add the lemon juice and boil it for another 10 minutes and set it aside to cool. The next thing to do is to make the filling. Mix the chopped walnuts, sugar and vanilla together really well. The next thing to do is to build your Baklava. First you must cut your fillo pastry to the size of the tray you will be using but make sure you handle the dough really carefully and do not press hard on it at all. Take out one sheet of the fillo pastry at a time and place it in the pan. Make sure you brush the fillo pastry with the melted butter between each layer you use.

Take the walnut filling and spread it across the tray then put a sheet of the fillo pastry and brush it with butter and continue doing this until all the fillo pastry is used up. After you have finnished this cut it into diamond shapes by cutting it into quarters with cuts parallel to the long axis and then cut diagonally across. Do not press it hard. Put it into the preheated oven for about 1 1/2 hours until golden brown. Be careful not to burn the bottom of it. Let the Baklava cool on a rack for 5 minutes and then add the cooled syrup on it. Let the Baklava cool for at least two hours before eating.

Enjoy your freshly made Baklava!