Traditional Lubnaani Baklava

INGREDIENTS

250g chopped nuts (We used a mix of pistachio, pecan and macadamia) ½ cup flour½ cup sugar1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
150g ghee (Clarified butter), straight off the stove
1 roll phyllo pastry (250g)
Syrup:1 cup sugar 1 cup boiling water Squeeze of lemon½ cup (mild flavoured) honey- can substitute with golden syrup

METHOD

Mix nuts, flour, cinnamon and sugar  together, set aside. Unroll phyllo pastry and cut in half to fit a small swissroll size tray.
Place about ⅓ of the pastry sheets at the bottom of the tray, then pat down ½ of the nut mixture. Add another ⅓ of the phyllo sheets. Pat down the rest of the nuts.Now end with the last of the phyllo sheets.Cut into diamonds or squares with a very sharp knife. This is frustrating but be patient. Lastly pour over the very hot ghee (Clarified butter). It has to make a lovely sizzling sound when poured over otherwise it's not hot enough.
Bake at 160°c in a well preheated oven for 60-70 minutes. Baklava should not be underbaked or it will be soggy. Make sure it is golden brown and cooked through. Now cool completely.
Syrup:Boil together all ingredients. We added a pinch of Elachi (cardomom) powder but this is not authentic. You may also add a few drops of rose water or orange blossom water if desired. Pour hot syrup over cool baklava. Allow to rest in tray overnight. Garnish with chopped pistachio.

INFO & TIPS

We really appreciated the ease of the traditional method, where hot ghee is poured over in the end instead of brushing in between each layer seperately.

Note: Recipe as written produces quite a bit of syrup so adjust accordingly if you don't like it too syrupy.

POSTED ON

11 Jul 2023

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