Ingredients
Makes 36 Baklava Roses
For the Baklava
12 sheets Antoniou Fillo Pastry
300g unsalted butter, melted
235g (1 and ½ cups) almonds, chopped finely
200g (2 cups) desiccated coconut
For the Vanilla Bean Syrup
350g (1 and ½ cups) sugar
360ml (1 and ½ cups) water
1 vanilla bean pod (or 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste)
For decorating
1 cup desiccated coconut
Method
Before you begin this Fillo Pastry recipe, take your Filo Pastry out of the fridge to bring it up to room temperature in its packaging.
Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
To make the Vanilla Bean Syrup
Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds out. Add the sugar, water, the seeds from the vanilla bean and the vanilla bean pod to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool then remove the vanilla bean pod from the syrup.
To make the Baklava
Process or finely chop the almonds. Add them to a bowl and mix with the coconut.
Place the stack of Fillo Pastry onto your bench, and cut it vertically into three long strips, parallel to the long side of the pastry. Stack the piles onto each other, and cover them with a dry tea towel.
Place one strip of Fillo Pastry with the long side facing you. Generously brush with butter and spoon 3 teaspoons of the coconut and almond mixture across the centre of the strip. Fold the bottom of the pastry strip up and over the nuts and brush with butter, followed by the top of the pastry strip and brush with butter.
Roll the strip to form a rose then place in the baking tray. Continue with remaining pastry and nut mixture. Brush the roses generously with butter. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until deep golden in colour.
Pour the cooled syrup over the hot Baklava roses. Once they have cooled slightly dip the bases and sides into coconut.
Learn how to make Coconut Baklava Roses with a Vanilla Bean Syrup