Christmas Baklava
20 minutes, plus cooling prep, 40 minutes cook
Serves 24
Ingredients
300g mixed shelled nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans , brazils, hazelnuts etc.)
2 tbsp Waitrose Signature Spice, or similar festive spice mix
200g butter, melted
2 x 270g packs filo pastry sheets
For the syrup:
300g sugar
100ml Greek honey
1 cinnamon stick
4 strips of clementine zest
Method
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Fan 180ºC/Gas 4. Place all the syrup ingredients in a medium saucepan with 300ml cold water and bring to a gentle simmer. Let it bubble away, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by a third. Leave to cool. (The syrup must be cool when it is poured over the pastry otherwise the pastry will go soggy.)
Blitz the nuts in a food processor until coarse then tip into a bowl and stir through the signature spice.
Lightly grease a 34 x 24cm tin with the melted butter. Gently unfold the filo and cover with a damp tea towel to stop it cracking.
Layer sheets of filo in the tin and brush each layer with melted butter. After 4 layers, scatter over half the nut mixture, repeat with 4 layers of filo, then the rest of the nuts. Top with the last 4 layers of filo then generously butter the top. Cut into 24 square shapes with a sharp knife – ensure the blade goes right to the bottom.
Bake on the middle shelf of the oven on a hot baking sheet for 30–35 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp, reducing the temperature to 170ºC/Fan 150ºC/Gas 3, if the baklava looks as though it is browning too quickly.
Remove the baklava from the oven and spoon half the cooled syrup over the top. Leave for 5 minutes then spoon over the remaining syrup. Allow the baklava to cool slightly before removing with a palette knife.
More recipes to try
25 minutes
Serves 8
10 minutes
Serves 6-12
Great British Food Awards
Award winning foods
Gin-infused lemon drizzle cake
Fragrant, zesty and beautifully grown-up, this gin-spiked twist on classic lemon drizzle cake is made for slow afternoons and sunny garden gatherings…