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BAKLAVA WITH ALMONDS AND CRANBERRIES

Baklava has its origins as an Ottoman dessert with layers of filo with chopped nuts, sweetened and held together with syrup or honey.  The Greeks and the Turks still argue over which country it originated from. While a record from Cato the Elder, De Agri Cultura 160 BC definitely shows the recipe has Latin roots. Machines for producing phyllo pastry were perfected in the 1970s, and have come to dominate the market. Before than it was a long process of spreading the dough onto a large table and pulling it to form a thin sheet.

Baklava with Almonds and Cranberries

2 cups unsalted pistachio chopped

1 cup blanched almonds chopped

1 cup dried cranberry

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

500 g (1lb) phyllo pastry (Defrost the phyllo pastry the night before in the fridge or according to instructions.)

3/4 cup sunflower oil

 

 Honey Syrup

2 cups honey

1 cup sugar

¾ cup water

Zest of one orange

Juice of 1 lemon.

  • Place grilling pan in the middle of the oven. Preheat it at 180°C (350°F)

  • Spread butter on a pyrex

  • Mix nuts, cranberry and spices.

  • Defrost the phyllo pastry the night before in the fridge or according to instructions.

  • Unroll the phyllo pastry in front of you and cut it in two.  If bigger than the pyrex, trim the phyllo to be the same size.

  • Place the 2 half on top of each other.

  • Divide the quantity of the phyllo sheet by 3.

  • Take the first third of the pastry and brush each sheet with oil

  • Place the sheets in the pyrex. Spread half of the nuts mixture over the sheets.

  • Repeat the process with the 2nd lot of phyllo.

  • Finally place the 3rd lot of phyllo (with each sheets also brushed with oil) on top.

  • With a sharp knife, cut the phyllo pastry right through in squares of roughly     6 x 6 cm (2.5" x 2.5") and each square in 2 triangle.

  • Place in oven for about 45 min.

  • Place all the honey syrop ingredient into a saucepan and boil while stirring till sugar has melted.

  • Pour it over the cooled baklavas and let it cool.

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