My resolutions will never include eating fewer desserts, that’s one thing you can be sure of. Instead, to celebrate this new decade I decided to treat myself by baking my first ever baklava. I’ve had wonderful versions of the syrupy sweet in Greece and the Middle East, sneaked in one or two whenever I was grabbing a falafel in the city, but I must say that biting into your very own freshly baked baklava is something else…
Don’t be intimidated by it, it’s a lot simpler than it looks but it does require some time and a lot of love. I can think of worst things to do than spending a sunday afternoon buttering layers after layers of filo dough – quite meditative and the end result is sublime. I got this recipe from an old issue of Food and Travel Magazine and basically fell for all its components: pistachios, rosewater, AND red wine poached pears. This new year is starting on a very sweet note indeed.
Gently poaching pears in a bath of Cabernet Sauvignon gives them a gorgeous purple color and a taste of a perfectly sweet dessert wine.
While you can substitute many other nuts in a baklava such as walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts, pistachios have a striking color and rich taste that totally justify their higher price tag.
Armed with your melted butter, filo dough carefully covered so it won’t dry out, and your ground pistachios, you’re ready to begin the layering process.
Many layers later you’re finally done, and now need to score the filo in whichever shapes or patterns you like. This is to make sure the syrup will be able to make its way into as many layers as possible, something you desperately want!
Bake until puffed and golden and pour the syrup you just made with honey and rosewater, letting it soak nicely all the way through. It’s a beautiful thing to watch and smell.
Waiting afterwards is the hard part but is essential for the baklava to hold its shape and have time to absorb the delicious syrup. I decorated with edible rose petals, a lovely addition if you have them, and took a pear out of its bath, leaving the others comfortably submerged.
The recipe can feed a crowd and makes wonderful gifts, but they also freeze really well if you don’t want to share (no judgment, I totally get you!). It’ll be hard to give some away once you’ve taken a bite of that melt-in-your-mouth goodness. The crisp layers of filo dough layered with a sweet pistachio mixture, and then the hint of rosewater that comes as the butter and honey dissolve in your mouth… I’m warning you – the first bite will be nearly impossible to forget.
| Cook Time: | 40 min |
| Prep Time: | 90 min |
| Total Time: | 300 min |
| Category: | Dessert |
| Cuisine: | Middle Eastern |
| Yield: | 12 servings |
2. Preheat the oven to 400F. Grind the pistachios to a fine powder. Reserve 25g for decoration and mix the rest with the sugar. Butter a 7"X10" baking pan. Unwrap half the filo and lay a piece in the bottom of the pan so one side hangs over the longest edge. Brush with butter and add another sheet so the overhang is on the other long side (these will wrap over). Cut 4 sheets to fit over the inner area of the pan and butter each layer until you have 5 layers in total.
3. Scatter over a quarter of the pistachio mixture and cut another 4 sheets of filo to fit over, buttering between each sheet. Add another quarter of the pistachio mixture and continue this way until all the pistachio has been used. Cut another 2 sheets to fit over the top, buttering between each, brush again with butter and finally bring the overhanging sides over, buttering between each.
4. Brush the top with the last of the butter and score about 1cm down with a sharp knife, first into 6 squares then into 12 triangles. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10-15 minutes until puffed and golden.
5. Meanwhile, gently heat the honey and stir in the rosewater. As soon as the baklava comes out of the oven, pour almost all of the syrup evenly over the top. When it has been absorbed, pour over the rest. Cool for about 2.5 hours and cut right through with a sharp knife and lift out the triangles. Arrange on plates and decorate with the reserved ground pistachio and a scattering of rose petals. Serve with a pear each.
50g superfine sugar
120g butter melted
500g filo pastry
For the syrup:
300g clear honey
2 tbsp rosewater
For the pears:
8-12 small pears, peeled but stalks left on
750ml bottle of cabernet sauvignon
200g superfine sugar
Zest of 1 orange
1 vanilla pod, split
To serve:
Dried rose petals (optional)
Ground pistachios
