Pistachio baklava with orange blossom Posted on 6 November 2019 Tags:blaklava The Greeks love their syrupy desserts (siropiasta). This one combines nuts, honey and thin layers of crispy pastry. Many countries in the region make baklava, but each uses a different mix of nuts. We’ve also added orange blossom water, which pairs wonderfully with the pistachios. If there is any baklava left, it’ll keep well in an airtight container for a week. Place individual pieces on baking paper to prevent them from sticking. Baklava can also be frozen and reheated later. Makes 36 pieces 500g phyllo pastry, defrosted 2¼ cups shelled pistachios, plus ⅓ cup, chopped 2¼ cups walnuts 2T brown sugar 1½t cinnamon ½t ground cardamom 1 cup unsalted butter, melted Syrup 1 cup sugar ½ cup honey juice of ½ lemon 1t vanilla essence 1 cup water 1T orange blossom water Method Preheat oven to 180˚C. Grease a 22 x 33cm baking dish. Trim the phyllo sheets to fit into the dish. Place nuts, sugar and spices in a food processor and pulse until coarse. Pour this filling mixture into a bowl. To assemble, sprinkle six sheets of phyllo with melted butter and layer on top of each other in the baking dish. Top with a third of the filling. Place another six buttered phyllo sheets on top and another third of the filling. Repeat once more, using up all the filling, and top with eight buttered sheets of phyllo. Using a sharp knife, slice the baklava into diamonds. (Slice lengthways into six strips, then cut across the diagonal.) Top with chopped pistachios. Bake the baklava for 25 minutes, until golden and crisp. Remove, cover with foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Simmer the syrup ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and let it cool. Once the baklava comes out of the oven, pour over the syrup. Let it cool a bit before removing individual pieces to serve. Recipes and styling by Chiara Turilli, Food Photography by Gareth Van Nelson Related Posts The lekker sweet taste of South Africa 27 January 2021 Before the time of allsorts and wotalotigot, these were handmade confectionaries. It’s a dying art,... read more Survive Dry January with these sophisticated non-alcoholic recipes 21 January 2021 There's now a range of non-alcoholic spirits available to previously-thirsty South Africans who aren't... read more South African Breweries goes to court over alcohol ban 7 January 2021 President Cyril Ramaphosa banned the selling and distribution of alcohol from retailers as well as... read more PREV ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE
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