Baklava

Ingredients

1 phyllo dough

2 kg mixed nuts chopped (available

at Foodhall)

1 cup butter

1 tsp cinnamon, ground

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

½ cup honey

METHOD

Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9×13 inch pan.

Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside.

Unroll phyllo dough. Cut the entire stack in half to fit the pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Lace two sheets of dough in a pan, butter it thoroughly.

Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top.

Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go on. The top layer should be about 6-8 sheets deep.

Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows to make the diagonal cuts.

Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.

While the baklava is baking, prepare the sauce. Boil sugar and water until the sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately pour the sauce over it. Let it cool. Leave it uncovered or it might get soggy if it is wrapped up

(Courtesy: Swasti Aggarwal, Food Strategist, Foodhall India)