This honey-soaked pastry, jam-packed with walnuts, is my super simple version of baklava, a sweetmeat you will find in differing guises in Greece, Turkey and many parts of the Middle East and Central Asia.
Makes about 24 pieces
250g walnuts
50g caster sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon (optional)
Finely grated zest of 1 orange (optional)
175g unsalted butter, melted
250g ready-made filo pastry
For the honey syrup
150g honey
150g caster sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 orange
Preheat the oven to 160oC/Gas 3. Put the walnuts, sugar and citrus zests, if using, in a food processor and pulse a few times until well combined and the nuts are fairly finely chopped.
Brush a little of the butter over the base of a baking tin, about 30 x 20cm. Layer half the filo sheets in the tin, brushing each layer with butter, folding them over and tucking them so that each layer fits neatly. Now spread the chopped walnut mixture in a thick, even layer over it.
Layer the remaining filo over the walnuts, buttering it well as you go. Cut the last couple of sheets of filo so they fit the top of the tin exactly, giving you a neat, smooth top. Brush the top layer with butter (you may not use quite all of it). Use a sharp knife to mark the top couple of layers of pastry into neat diamonds, triangles or squares. Bake for 50 minutes–1 hour, until the filo is crispy and golden on top.
While the baklava is baking, for the honey syrup, put the honey and sugar in a pan. Squeeze the orange and lemon juice into a measuring jug and make up to 300ml with water. Strain through a sieve into the pan and bring slowly to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Boil for 10 minutes to reduce and thicken.
When you take the baklava from the oven, slowly pour the hot syrup all over the surface. Leave in the baking tin for at least 8 hours to soak and settle.
To serve, use a serrated knife to cut right through the baklava, following the marked lines, and carefully remove the pieces from the tin. Baklava is very good with a cup of coffee. It’s also delicious as a pud, with vanilla ice cream.