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Baklava Recipe

This is the easiest and most authentic Baklava recipe that we have ever tasted. It is absolutely delicious and very moreish...so watch the calories!
Its very simular to the first one that we shared many moons ago in a little taverna in Cyprus.
It is not clear exactly where Baklava originates but it has certainly been on the go since the days of the Ottoman Empire and this version probably came from Turkey and made its way to Greece via Cyprus. Anyway - it's quite straightforward and we've tried to simplify it as much as possible.

Baklava Recipe Ingredients for 12 portions

18 sheets ready-made filo pastry
225g/8oz unsalted butter
225g/8oz mixed nuts, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the syrup

250g/9oz granulated sugar
250ml/8.5 fl oz water
1 tsp vanilla essence
125ml/4 fl oz honey

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Baklava Recipe Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Grease a 7" x 11" Baking Pan (17cm x 28cm) with some of the butter.
3. Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan over low heat or in a microwave.
4. Lay 4 sheets of filo pastry, one at a time, into the tray, brushing each sheet with butter before adding the next.
5. Baklava from South West Asia and Turkey

In a bowl, mix together the nuts and the cinnamon and spread 4 tablespoons of the mixture over the pastry in the tray.
6. Layer up 2 more sheets on top of the nut mixture, brushing each sheet with butter as before and spread 4 more
tablespoons of nuts over the pastry.
7. Repeat this process 5 more times.
8. Top the last layer of nuts with the remaining 2 sheets of pastry, brushing each well with the remaining butter
9. Using a sharp knife, cut a criss-cross pattern into the top layers of the pastry.
8. Place baklava in the preheated oven for about 40-50 minutes, or until the pastry is slightly puffed and golden on top.
Do not allow the top to burn. Remove and allow to cool slightly.
9. For the syrup, heat the sugar, water, and vanilla essence and honey in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over
a medium heat until the sugar has melted and a syrup is formed. (This will take about 20 minutes or so.)
10. Pour the syrup into the slits in the baklava and leave to cool. Cut into small diamond-shaped pieces and serve.