Walnut baklava

Name: Walnut baklava
Ingredients: 800 g Bella filo pastry sheets (28 sheets); 250-300 g butter; 500 g ground walnuts; 2 tablespoons sugar; 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon; 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 300 g sugar; 250 ml water; 1/2 lemon; 5 tablespoons honey; 50 g pistachios

Dessert - Walnut baklava by Natasa H. - Recipia

Nutmeg subtly changes the walnut layer in this walnut baklava, made with thin filo pastry sheets. The sheets bake until golden and crisp, then soak up cold lemon-and-honey syrup; once cooled, the baklava is cut into small pieces, with the layers held firmly together. I serve it with unsweetened coffee, in pieces small enough for one bite. Prep: 35 minutes. Cook: 63 minutes. Rest: 2 hours and 30 minutes. Total time: 4 hours and 8 minutes. Serves: 30. About 310 kcal and 5 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

800 g Bella filo pastry sheets (28 sheets)
250-300 g butter
500 g ground walnuts
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
300 g sugar
250 ml water
1/2 lemon
5 tablespoons honey
50 g pistachios

Preparation

1. Melt the butter in a bowl. Mix the ground walnuts with 2 tablespoons of sugar, the cinnamon and nutmeg. 2. Line the oven tray with baking parchment and brush the paper with melted butter. Lay down the first filo sheet, brush it with butter and repeat until you have 8 sheets stacked. 3. Divide the walnuts into 4 equal portions of 125 g each. Sprinkle the first portion over the pastry base. Top with 5 sheets, brushing each with butter as you go, then add another 125 g of walnuts. Repeat twice more: 5 buttered sheets and 125 g of walnuts each time. Finish with the last 5 buttered sheets. You’ll have 5 layers of pastry and 4 layers of walnuts. 4. Put the tray in the fridge for 30 minutes. Cut the baklava into about 30 equal pieces. I get about 30. Pour the remaining melted butter between the pieces. 5. Heat the oven to 160°C. Bake the baklava for 50 minutes, until the top sheets are golden. 6. While it bakes, put 250 ml of water and 300 g of sugar in a saucepan. Boil for 10 minutes, until the syrup starts to thicken, then add the juice of 1/2 lemon and 4 tablespoons of honey. Boil for 3 more minutes, then leave the syrup to cool. 7. Pour the cold syrup over the hot baklava. Cover the tray with a damp towel and leave it to cool completely, about 2 hours. 8. Sprinkle with the coarsely chopped pistachios and drizzle the remaining tablespoon of honey over the top.

Notes

Filo sheets dry out quickly, so keep the stack covered with a clean towel while you work. If they’re frozen, thaw them completely in the packaging, then separate them without forcing them. Use fresh walnuts, since old ones that smell of stale oil can make the whole tray taste bitter. For brushing, using the higher end of the butter amount helps when the sheets are drier. If the butter cools and sets, warm it briefly until it flows again. For a dairy-free version, you can use 250-300 g of dairy-free margarine intended for baking. The pastry sheets contain gluten, and walnuts and pistachios are tree-nut allergens. Let it come to room temperature before covering it for storage, so the top sheets don’t get damp. It keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. I serve it with unsweetened coffee, because the syrup is sweet enough.