Orange Blossom Baklava Recipe
Baklava is pronounced “bah-klah-vah.” Baklava is a delicious Middle Eastern dessert made up of layers of crispy phyllo pastry sheets and spiced honey mixed nuts which is baked until golden and finished with orange blossom syrup and dried rose petals.
Makes 20 Squares
Ingredients:
½ cup honey
¾ cup (165g) caster sugar
2 tsp orange blossom water
2 tsp rosewater
120g blanched almonds
120g walnuts
120g hazelnuts
80g pistachios
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
12 sheets filo pastry
125g butter, melted
dried rose petals, to serve
Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Combine honey, ½ cup of water and ½ cup of sugar in a medium saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer; cook for 3-4 minutes or until syrup thickens slightly. Remove from heat. Add orange blossom water and rosewater, set aside.
Place almonds in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with walnuts, hazelnuts and pistachios. Add remaining sugar, cinnamon and cardamom and stir to combine.
Grease a 23cm square cake pan. Place a sheet of filo pastry on a clean work surface and brush with a little butter. Continue layering with another 3 sheets of filo and butter. Fold in half and trim edges to fit the base of the prepared pan. Spoon half the almond mixture evenly over filo. Repeat twice more using 3 x filo sheets each time, butter and rest of almond mixture. Top with remaining filo stack.
Cut into 5cm diamond shapes. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and pour over orange blossom syrup. Cool completely. Sprinkle with dried rose petals to serve.
