This is a straightforward to make dessert using filo pastry and nuts. It can be cut up and taken on a picnic as a delicious snack.
Ingredients
For the filling
- 150g walnuts chopped
- 25g fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs
- 1 ½ tbsp light muscovado sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of ground cloves
- 50g butter or vegan margarine
- 225g filo pastry
For the syrup
- 125g caster sugar
- 250ml water
- 1 ½ tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 1 ½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 5cm piece cinnamon stick
Method
- Preheat the oven to 190°C/gas mark 5.
- Mix the walnuts with the breadcrumbs, 1 ½ tbsp sugar, ground cinnamon and ground cloves.
- Brush a deep square metal tin (approx. 7” x 7”) with butter or vegan margarine and lay in one sheet of filo and brush with melted vegan margarine. Repeat for 6 layers.
- Sprinkle on ½ the walnut mixture. Add 3 more layers of filo, brushing each one with margarine. Sprinkle on the remaining nut mixture, and build up another 6 layers of pastry as before. Tuck the ends in under the top sheet or trim to neaten. Brush the top sheet with melted vegan margarine and using a sharp knife cut through the top layers before cooking in a diamond pattern, as filo is very messy to cut once cooked.
- Bake for 20 minutes and then reduce heat to 180°C/gas mark 4 for a further 10 minutes.
- Put all syrup ingredients into a pan and boil gently for 5 minutes to dissolve the sugar and maple syrup.
- Allow the syrup to cool a little then pour over the cooked baklava and leave it to soak in.
