Juicy, crunchy aromatic baklava

Ingredients:

For the syrup:

600g caster sugar

400g water

one heaped tbs honey

the juice of one lemon and one slice of lemon peel

4 cloves

a cinnamon stick

For the filling:

1 pack of filo pastry

400g chopped nuts, I prefer mixing walnuts and almonds

1 tbs cinnamon

1 tbs caster sugar

1 pack melted butter 250g mixed with 100g olive oil

First make the syrup as you need to let it cool down before you pour it onto the pipping hot baklava. That will ensure that your baklava stays crispy. Pour all the ingredients into a pan and bring to a gentle boil. Let it shimmer until it thickens, about 30 minutes.

Then get your ingredients for the baklava ready. Mix the nuts with the sugar and cinnamon and put aside. Grease a baking tray (approx 35x25cm) with the butter/oil mixture and line with a filo sheet. Sprinkle with butter/oil then line another sheet on top and repeat once more. Then sprinkle with a handful of the nut mix. Don’t worry if it does not cover the surface totally. Lay a filo sheet and sprinkle with butter then with another handful of nuts. Repeat with all but three sheets and until the nuts are finished. Fold in the overhanging edges of the pastry and lay the last three sheets sprinkling each of them with butter in between. Tuck the edges of the top sheet between the baklava and the tin and pour the remaining butter on top. Refrigerate for 20 mins and then score the pastry in diamond shapes. Cook in a preheated oven at 150°C fan for 2-2.5 hours until golden brown and crispy throughout. Remove it from the oven and pour the cool syrup immediately and let it rest. Enjoy!