Recipes

This recipe is my version of the Greek classic and holds a very special place in my heart because my late Grandfather retired to Corfu when I was young. I have been to visit many, many times throughout my life but I could never have a taste of this flaky delight. He would always take us to authentic Greek tavernas and at the end of every meal we would be presented with a traditional Baklava crammed full with nuts and fruits.

My version of this recipe still features the fatty, nuttiness that you would expect from a classic Baklava by using pumpkin and sesame seeds as an alternative. Toasting the seeds before making your filling adds an extra nutty layer to the dish. The dried fruits mixed with honey offer that sweet, chewy texture that coats your mouth. This recipe features my favourite fruit combination but you can easily substitute the figs, dates and apricots for sultanas, raisins, currants or whatever dried fruit you fancy. I also love adding a dash of orange liqueur but you can always sub this out for orange juice or even orange blossom water for an alcohol-free version.

I usually opt for shop-bought pastry when it comes to filo. In the UK, Jus-Rol’s ready rolled filo pastry sheets are exactly the right size for a 21cm tin when cut in half so you’ll get 14 layers out of the 7 sheet box. However I do find that ready made pastry is often slightly too thick and can come out chewy… For a lighter and even flakier version of this dish, why not try making your own filo pastry and share you results with us!

EQUIPMENT

  • Food Processor

INGREDIENTS
  

  • 2 x 270g pack filo pastry
  • 200 g butter melted
  • 100 g pumpkin seeds
  • 50 g sesame seeds
  • 80 g dried figs
  • 50 g dried dates pitted
  • 50 g dried apricots
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • ½ tsp salt

Syrup

  • 200 g caster sugar
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 2 tsp orange liquor
  • 2 tsp orange zest
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground cardamom

INSTRUCTIONS
 

  • Preheat your oven to 160C and grease a square cake tin with butter.
  • Toast the pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds in a dry pan for a couple of minutes until they colour slightly.
  • Add the toasted seeds, figs and dates to a food processor and blend them into a crumb. Be careful not to over-process them into a paste. Then stir in the honey and salt.
  • Open your filo pastry and cut the sheets so that they fit your tin. Put one sheet in the greased tin then brush with melted butter. Repeat this until you have used half of your filo sheets.
  • Spread your seed and fruit mixture over the pastry and push down gently so it is lightly compacted.
  • Add the other half of your filo sheets, brushing butter between each sheet. Pour any extra butter over the top of the last sheet to keep it moist.
  • Using a sharp knife, cut diagonal lines all the way through your baklava to create a diamond pattern then bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Reduce the heat to 130C and bake for another 45 minutes. During this time, you can make the syrup.
  • Add all the syrup ingredients to a saucepan with 200ml of water and stir over a gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved. Then boil the mixture for 10 minutes until it has reduced by half then take off the heat.
  • As soon as you take the baklava out the oven, pour over the syrup mixture so that it runs down all the grooves.
  • Once the baklava has cooled completely, remove it from the tin and serve with a sprinkle of icing sugar.

    Recipe Provided by: Nut Less Kitchen
    Instagram: nutlesskitchen




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