Baklava
by Nigella. Featured in HOW TO BE A DOMESTIC GODDESSIntroduction
This is so temple-achingly sweet that one small marked-out diamond, or maybe two, is enough. But even so, I love its perfumed sugariness — as much as I love the tender, rose-shot green of its equally fragrant nubbly interior.
This is so temple-achingly sweet that one small marked-out diamond, or maybe two, is enough. But even so, I love its perfumed sugariness — as much as I love the tender, rose-shot green of its equally fragrant nubbly interior.
Ingredients
Makes: 16 pieces
For the Syrup
- 500 grams caster sugar
- juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon rosewater
- 1 tablespoon orange-flower water
For the Pastry
- 325 grams pistachios (chopped in a processor til medium fine)
- 125 grams unsalted butter (melted)
- 400 grams filo pastry
For the Syrup
- 2½ cups granulated sugar
- juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tablespoon rosewater
- 1 tablespoon orange-flower water
For the Pastry
- 2½ cups pistachios (chopped in a processor til medium fine)
- 9 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
- 14 ounces filo pastry
Method
You will need a square foil tin, 23 x 23 x 4cm / 9 x 9 x 1½ inches.
- To make the syrup: bring 300ml/1¼ cups of water, the sugar and lemon juice to the boil, and keep it at boiling point for 5 minutes. Add the rosewater and orange-flower water, and then remove it from the heat. Pour it into a jug, let it cool and then chill it in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160°C Fan/gas mark 4/350ºF.
- Brush the tin with butter, and then each of the filo pastry sheets as you line the tin with them. Use half of the pastry for the bottom layer, placing the sheets in the tin evenly so that the pastry goes up the sides with a little overhang. As the tin is square and the filo pastry is often a rectangular shape, you should try to arrange the sheets so that each side is covered in turn. When you have used up half of the pastry, spread the pistachios evenly over the filo sheets. Then carry on with the rest of the pastry in the same way. The last sheet on top should also be buttered well, and then with a sharp knife trim around the top edge of the tin to give a neat finish.
- Cut parallel lines 4-5cm / 1½-2 inches apart to form diamond shapes, making sure you cut the baklava right through to the bottom of the tin.
- Put in the oven and cook for 30 minutes, by which time the filo will have puffed up and become golden-brown. As soon as it comes out of the oven, pour over half the cold syrup. Leave it a few minutes to soak in and then pour over the rest.
You will need a square foil tin, 23 x 23 x 4cm / 9 x 9 x 1½ inches.
- To make the syrup: bring 300ml/1¼ cups of water, the sugar and lemon juice to the boil, and keep it at boiling point for 5 minutes. Add the rosewater and orange-flower water, and then remove it from the heat. Pour it into a jug, let it cool and then chill it in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160°C Fan/gas mark 4/350ºF.
- Brush the tin with butter, and then each of the filo pastry sheets as you line the tin with them. Use half of the pastry for the bottom layer, placing the sheets in the tin evenly so that the pastry goes up the sides with a little overhang. As the tin is square and the filo pastry is often a rectangular shape, you should try to arrange the sheets so that each side is covered in turn. When you have used up half of the pastry, spread the pistachios evenly over the filo sheets. Then carry on with the rest of the pastry in the same way. The last sheet on top should also be buttered well, and then with a sharp knife trim around the top edge of the tin to give a neat finish.
- Cut parallel lines 4-5cm / 1½-2 inches apart to form diamond shapes, making sure you cut the baklava right through to the bottom of the tin.
- Put in the oven and cook for 30 minutes, by which time the filo will have puffed up and become golden-brown. As soon as it comes out of the oven, pour over half the cold syrup. Leave it a few minutes to soak in and then pour over the rest.
Additional Information
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 5 days. In warm weather store in the fridge. Baklava can be frozen but bear in mind that it can become more sticky and soft once it thaws. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month. If freezing individual pieces then wrap each piece with food wrap if you only want to take out one piece at a time to thaw. Thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 5 days. In warm weather store in the fridge. Baklava can be frozen but bear in mind that it can become more sticky and soft once it thaws. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 1 month. If freezing individual pieces then wrap each piece with food wrap if you only want to take out one piece at a time to thaw. Thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
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Show more commentsAnd if you insert a clove in each cut (easy to remove after baking), you will get an extra fragant baklava.
This is my favourite turkish sweet.. ;-)
This is one of my families favourite Christmas treats I make to celebrate. Just bliss!
I think I will get my wife to make these. Will help her out by eating them :-)
I made this last night for Olympic Greek themed day at my boyfriends work. Very tasty, but feel that it needs something to bind it all together like honey, or maybe spreading the nuts between the layers rather than one clump, as the top section of filo kept coming off.... although the distance from plate to mouth isn't so far :)
I felt like I was transported somewhere else when I first ate these...