Ingredients
- 1 roll phyllo pastry sheets125 ml butter, meltedFor the filling300 g pecan nuts, finely chopped300 g almonds, finely ground300 g sugar2 g ground cinnamonFor the syrup500 ml water300 g sugar1 whole cloveJuice of half a lemon
Instructions
1. Chop the nuts in a food processor.
2. Mix the pecan nuts, almonds, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Carefully remove the phyllo roll from the plastic sleeve. Using a pair of scissors or a sharp knife cut the sheets in half. To prevent drying, cover with a damp towel.
The dressingÂ
1. Using a pastry brush, brush the bottom and sides of a rectangular pan with melted butter. Begin by layering six sheets of phyllo, making sure to brush each with the melted butter.
2. Add half of the nut mixture in an even layer. Pat it down with a spatula to flatten. Continue layering another 6 sheets of phyllo. Add the remaining nut mixture in an even layer. Top with the remaining phyllo sheets.
3. Before baking, score the top layer of phyllo (making sure not to go past the top filling layer) to enable easier cutting of pieces later.
4. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 45 minutes or until the phyllo turns a rich golden colour.
The syrup
1. To prepare the syrup: While the baklava is baking, in a medium saucepan combine the water and the sugar and mix well. Add the clove and simmer over medium high heat for about 20 minutes. You want the syrup to be slightly thickened.
Remove from the heat and discard the clove. Stir in the juice of half a lemon. Allow the syrup to cool slightly.
2. When the baklava is out of the oven and still warm, ladle the syrup carefully into the pan. Baklava can be refrigerated or stored at room temperature.
