Baklava

Ingredients

• 500 g phyllo dough
• 300 g walnuts, finely chopped
• 150 g pistachios, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 250 g butter, melted
• 400 g white sugar
• 3 dl water
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp pistachios, crushed, for garnish

Method

1. 1.

   Prep the nuts and dish — In a bowl, combine the chopped walnuts, chopped pistachios and cinnamon; set aside. Brush a baking dish generously with melted butter.

2. 2.

   Layer the phyllo sheets — Layer about 8 sheets of phyllo in the dish, brushing each one lightly with melted butter before adding the next. Keep the unused phyllo covered with a damp towel so it doesn't dry out.

3. 3.

   Fill and cut the baklava — Spread half of the nut mixture evenly over the phyllo base. Add another 6 buttered phyllo sheets, then the remaining nuts, then top with the final 8 sheets, buttering each layer as you go. Brush the top generously with the last of the butter and cut into diamond shapes with a sharp knife, cutting all the way through to the bottom.

4. 4.

   Bake until golden and crisp — Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C for about 45 minutes, until deep golden brown and crisp all the way through.

5. 5.

   Soak in cooled syrup — Meanwhile, simmer the sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan for 10 minutes until slightly thickened into a syrup, then stir in the honey and let cool. As soon as the baklava comes out of the oven, ladle the cooled syrup evenly over the hot pastry. Let it soak for at least 4 hours before serving, garnished with crushed pistachios.