Ingredients
12 sheets Antoniou Fillo Pastry
400g sugar
400ml water
1 cinnamon stick
1 ribbon lemon rind
200g pistachio nuts, for the filling
50g pistachio nuts, for decorating
200g unsalted butter, melted
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 170 degrees Celsius. We’re using a 30cm round baking tray.
To make the syrup
Add the sugar, water, cinnamon stick and lemon rind in a small saucepan and boil for 20 minutes, or until the syrup is slightly thickened. Allow to cool.
To make the Baklava
Process the pistachio nuts until they’re a fine powder and set aside (or chop finely).
Place the stack of Fillo Pastry on 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 2-3 teaspoons of ground pistachios across the strip just below the centre. Fold the bottom and the top of the pastry strip over the pistachio nuts.
Pick up the strip and coil it to form a rose, ensuring the pistachio nuts are at the bottom. Place in the baking tray. Continue with remaining pastry and pistachio nuts. 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. Sprinkle with pistachio nuts.
Recipe, video & Photography: Mary Politis from Mary’s Kouzina
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