The origin of Baklava is highly disputed, with the Greeks stating that it originates in Greek, and the Turks that it is from Turkey. The only certain thing is that it is a deliciously sweet dessert, and highly addictive too. My housemate made Baklava for all of us a while back and it changed my life. Although I would not eat it very often, due to the fact that it is so sweet, it was very, very good. This recipe makes a very large quantity so I suggest making it for a dinner party or birthdays. The leftovers are still delicious for a couple of days after. Ingredients
100g walnuts 100g almonds 100g pistachios 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon ½ tablespoon ground cloves 200g melted butter 12 sheets of filo pastry 300g sugar 100ml Greek honey 1 cinnamon stick 2 strips of orange zest Directions 1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Place all the syrup ingredients (sugar, honey, cinnamon stick and orange zest) in a medium saucepan with 300ml of water and bring to a gentle simmer. Let it bubble, stirring occasionally, for 15 mins (till the liquid has reduced by a third). Leave it to cool. 2. Blend the nuts in a food processor until coarse, then tip into a bowl and stir in the cinnamon and cloves. 3. Grease a 40x25cm shallow tin with some of the melted butter. Gently unfold the filo pastry and cover it with a wet towel to stop it from cracking. 4. Layer sheets of filo in the tin, brushing each layer with melted butter. After having done 4 layers, scatter over half of the nut mixture. Repeat with another 4 layers of filo, then the rest of the nuts. 5. Top with the last 4 layers of pastry and butter well the top. Cut into diamonds (or into isosceles triangles) using a sharp knife, ensuring that the knife goes all the way through. 6. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Reduce the temperature to 170 if the baklava is browning too quickly. 7. Remove from the oven and spoon half the cooled syrup over the top. After 5 minutes spoon over the remaining syrup. Let it cool completely before serving. Original recipe from Jamie Oliver
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