RecipesBaking And Sweets

Almond and Orange Blossom Baklava recipe

“This baklava is pure pleasure…a pleasure to make, a pleasure to eat, and a pleasure to share!” Thanks to Nikibakes for the delicious recipe.

Almond and Orange Blossom Baklava recipe
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Ingredients

For the syrup
  • 200g light brown sugar
  • 400ml water
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp orange blossom flower water
  • 1 tsp rose water
For the baklava
  • 2-3 packs filo pastry (2 x 270g pack), roughly 15-25 sheets
  • 300g blanched, ground almonds
  • 200g mix of ground Brazil nuts/cashew nuts/pistachios
  • 4-6 tbsp orange blossom syrup (see above)
  • 250g unsalted butter, melted
to decorate
  • dried rose petals
  • a small handful finely chopped almonds, lightly toasted

“This baklava is pure pleasure…a pleasure to make, a pleasure to eat, and a pleasure to share!”

Thanks to Nikibakes for the delicious recipe.

Method

01
1. Preheat your oven to 180C and prepare the syrup first. Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Allow the syrup to boil 2-3 minutes without stirring (stirring causes the sugar to crystallise). Add the lemon juice and continue boiling for 10 minutes until it is a light, syrupy consistency that coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in the orange blossom and rose waters. Set aside.
02
2. Remove the filo pastry from its packaging, and place a clean, damp cloth on top to keep them from drying out. Cut the stack of filo to fit the size of your baking tin - this makes it much easier to stack the sheets perfectly without overlapping.
03
3. Place your first sheet in the tin and brush all over with melted butter. Place another sheet on top and brush with butter. Continue stacking and brushing your sheets generously with butter until you have 5 sheets on the bottom of the tin. 
04
4. Mix all the ground nuts together and pour the mixture on top of the filo stack, and spread it out evenly throughout the pan. Repeat the buttering and layering process with around 10 more sheets on top of the almond mixture.
05
5. Using a sharp knife, carefully slice the raw baklava into diamond shapes making sure to slice all the way to the bottom of the baking dish. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the tops of the baklava have puffed and are golden brown.
06
6. Pour the syrup all over the hot baklava (hear it sizzle!). Sprinkle the chopped almond and rose petals on top. Set aside to cool and hold its shape. Serve at room temperature. Mmmm!