Baklava is a true middle eastern delicacy and once you have tried to make it you appreciate the skill involved. We are not in Istanbul or Dubai and the likelihood of you having a middle eastern bakery nearby is slim. This is a chocolate and pistachio baklava, my favourite, but you can make plain baklava by omitting the cocoa powder.
This is definitely a great treat to impress guests but you do need to practice this a few times. I have personally had many failures when working on this recipe. Practice makes perfect.
Serves: 8
Time: 1 Hour
Difficulty: Pernickety
Pastry
250g (1 pack) of Filo Pastry
125g of Pistachios
100g of Butter
5 tablespoons of Butter
3 tablespoons of Cocoa Powder
Syrup
200g of White Sugar or 100g of White Sugar and 100g of Soft Light Brown Sugar
120ml of Water
1 tablespoon of Lemon or Lime Juice
1 tablespoon of Honey
- Cut the filo sheets into 14 sheets that can fit into a small high rimmed baking tin or Pyrex dish. Dust the sheets with the cocoa powder and with a rolling pin press the powder into the sheets.
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Finely chop the pistachios
- Melt the butter and brush the bottom of the baking tin with butter. Place a layer of filo and brush with butter. Repeat 6 times.
- Evenly spread the chopped pistachios on the assembled pastry.
- Add another layer of filo and brush with butter until you have added 7 layers of filo.
- With a very sharp knife cut in small squares (12-16) in the baking tin.
- Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes depending on how the filo is crisping up ensuring it does not burn.
- Meanwhile bring the water to a boil. Add the sugar, lemon juice and honey. Reduce until a syrup forms that sticks to the back of a teaspoon. Then allow to cool.
- Once the baklava has come out of the oven pour over the syrup and allow to cool before serving.
Recipes from my kitchen, Edinburgh, Scotland 