Turkish Baklava

The first time I tasted baklava was almost 20 years ago when we were on a family holiday in Turkey.

It's a common dessert also in South-Western Asia and in the Balkans.

I still have my own personal reasons to believe that the best baklava is Turkish :)

Base:

500 g phyllo pastry sheets

150 g butter

200 g chopped pistachios

200 g chopped almonds

100 g sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Syrup:

200 ml water

3 tablespoons lemon juice

150 g sugar

50 g honey

Preheat the oven to 200 C. Grease a rectangular baking pan with butter.

Chop the nuts and mix with cinnamon and sugar.

Cut the phyllo in half for each sheet to fit the bottom of the baking pan. Start buttering each sheet of phyllo as you place them in the pan. Every 5-7 sheets spread a layer of nut mix. Continue layering and when finished, cut the pastry with a sharp knife diagonally to form diamond shaped pieces. 

Bake in the centre of oven for about 40 minutes until the pastry turns golden brown.

 

Let the baklava cool and in the meantime prepare the syrup. Mix in a pan water, lemon juice, sugar and honey. Heat the mix to boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Pour the hot syrup over the pastry and let it cool well. Place it in the fridge waiting to be served.

 

Cut into pieces and serve accompanied with strong Turkish style coffee or tea.