Baklava is a fragrant Middle Eastern pastry, usually made with pistachios or almonds. This recipe uses macadamia nuts and our wonderful Cold Fusion Cinnamon Quill honey.
Ingredients
20 sheets filo pastry
1 cup macadamias – finely chopped
125g unsalted butter – melted
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ cup honey
2 tbs. rosewater
2 tbs. macadamias – chopped extra
Syrup
¼ cup water
2 cloves
1/2 cup Hum Honey Cold Fusion Cinnamon Quill honey
2 tbs. rosewater
1 tbs. lemon juice
Method
Place ingredients for the syrup together in a small heavy-based saucepan, including the cinnamon quill in the honey. Heat up slowly and simmer for approximately 15 minutes, or until syrupy. Remove the cinnamon quill and cloves and discard. Set syrup aside and allow to cool.
In a bowl, place the chopped macadamia nuts, ground cinnamon, cloves, honey and rosewater. Combine well.
Preheat over to 180˚C. Lay out the sheets of filo pastry and cover with a damp cloth to stop the pastry from drying out. Working quickly take one sheet of pastry, lay out horizontally and brush liberally with melted butter. Fold in half, from left to right. Brush with melted butter again.
Place one tablespoon of the macadamia mixture onto the bottom third of the pastry, spreading the mix out to a 10 x10cm, remaining approximately 10cm from each edge. (visually divide into thirds, horizontally as well – the mix goes onto the centre third).
Bring in each side and fold over the area with mix on it. Brush each side with butter again. Then roll into a stubby cigar shaped parcel. Do not roll up too tightly otherwise the rolls may burst while baking.
Place each roll on a lightly buttered baking dish, leaving about 2.5cm space between each roll with the seam of the roll facing down. Repeat with each sheet of pastry until they are all rolled up.
Place in the oven and bake for 30-45 minutes, until golden brown. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then brush with syrup and sprinkle with extra nuts.
Serve, sliced into thirds.
