PISTACHIO, ALMOND, LEMON & ROSE BAKLAVA

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Pistachio, almond, lemon & rose baklava image

Wrap up a Middle Eastern or Turkish-inspired menu with fragrant homemade baklava for dessert. Diana Henry's recipe features pistachio, almond, rose and lemon flavours

Provided by Diana Henry

Categories     Dessert

Time 1h45m

Yield Makes around 25-30 pieces

Number Of Ingredients 8

125g ground almonds
300g pistachios , chopped in a food processor (some roughly, some finely)
1 lemon , finely zested and juiced, plus 4 broad strips of zest
500g granulated sugar , plus 3 tbsp
200g butter , melted, plus extra for the tin
2 x 250g packs of filo pastry (you won't use all the sheets)
about 2 tsp rosewater (add to taste as brands vary in strength)
handful of pink rose petals , unsprayed (optional)

Steps:

  • Mix the ground almonds and chopped pistachios in a bowl, reserving 3 tbsp of the pistachios to garnish. Stir in the finely grated lemon zest, the 3 tbsp of sugar and 5 tbsp of the melted butter. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Brush the inside of a roasting or baking tin (30 x 20cm) with the butter.
  • Whatever size of filo sheets you have, cut them to fit the tin. Lay one sheet of filo in it, butter it, and keep going until you have 6 sheets of filo. Spoon the nut mixture on top and press down with the back of a spoon, like making a biscuit base, then put 8 filo sheets on the top, again buttering each one. Using a sharp knife, cut a diamond trellis on top, then bake in the oven for 1 hr until golden brown.
  • Make the syrup by putting the sugar, lemon juice and strips of zest into a saucepan with 250ml water. Bring to a boil, stirring to help the sugar dissolve, then turn the heat down a little and simmer for 10 mins. The mixture will look quite syrupy. Remove the lemon zest and add the rosewater to taste.
  • While the baklava and the syrup are still warm, pour the syrup carefully over the pastry. Return the baklava to the oven for 5 more mins.
  • Sprinkle the remaining pistachios over the baklava, then leave to cool overnight - so that the baklava can absorb all the syrup. If you're making this for a special occasion, it's nice to scatter over some torn rose petals (they have to be small pieces) just before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 260 calories, Fat 13 grams fat, SaturatedFat 4 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 30 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 20 grams sugar, Fiber 2 grams fiber, Protein 5 grams protein, Sodium 0.3 milligram of sodium

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