Divya's Recipes: Baklava

Ingredients:-

Phyllo Sheets-20
Butter-1 cup

For The Filling-

Cashew Nuts-1/3 cup
Pistachios-1/3 cup
Walnuts-1/3 cup
Powdered Sugar-1/2 cup
Cardamom Powder-1/4 tsp
Cinnamon powder-1/2 tsp
Salt-1/8 tsp

For the Sugar Syrup-

Sugar-1 cup
Water-1/2 cup
Lemon juice-1 tsp
Rose Water / Rose Essence-1/2 tsp

Method:-

For the Sugar Syrup:-

Take sugar,water and lemon juice in a pan.

Heat it and bring it to a boil while mixing it for the sugar to dissolve.Once the sugar has dissolved,let it simmer on low heat for about 4 minutes,without stirring,add rose water or rose essence .Remove it and let it cool completely.

For The Filling:-

Place all the nuts in a baking tray and spread them evenly.

Roast in the preheated 150 C oven or toaster oven for 10 minutes or light golden color.

Allow to cool completely.

Now powder the nuts.

Add the powdered sugar,salt cinnamon powder and cardamom powder and grounded nuts mix well .keep it aside.

Heat butter in a pan till brown in color.Keep it aside.

Assemble the Baklava:-

Pre heat oven to 150C .

Thaw the frozen phyllo pastry according to the the directions given on the pack.Mine said to thaw it at room temperature for 1 hour.

I have used a 8.5 x 4.75 pan.I used 10 sheets of pastry.I cut in the middle of the each sheet fit the baking pan and immediately refrigerate the remaining sheets.All sheets cover with wet cloth.

Now grease the pan with melted butter,

Place a phyllo sheet,It's perfectly okay if its a bit wrinkled or torn.

Apply butter on the sheet generously.

Place another sheet.Continue the process till 5 sheets are used up.

Put 1/3 cup of the filling on the top of the 5th sheet.

Spread the filling evenly. Place another sheet and butter it.

Continue till another 5 sheets are used up.
Continue this process in such a way that you will have 4 layers of 5 sheets alternated with with 3 layers of filling.