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Layered filo pastry tart baked with a mixture of nuts, spices and rosewater syrup

This tart resembles the traditional Greek dessert, Baklava.  It will last for up to 4 days, covered and at room temperature. Use any mixture of nuts that you prefer, and if rosewater is not available, spray over some sweetened apple juice.

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BAKLAVA
2 teaspoons/10 ml cinnamon
1 tablespoon/15 ml allspice
3 cloves
½ teaspoon/3 ml cardamom
¼ cup/60 ml water
1 teaspoon/5 ml rose water
450 g/1 lb filo dough, thawed
225 g/8 oz butter, melted
170 g/6 oz almonds, blanched and chopped finely
170 g/6 oz walnuts, chopped finely
170 g/6 oz pistachios, chopped finely
2/3 cup sugar

For the syrup:
1 cup/250 ml honey
1 cup/250 ml water
1 cup/250 ml sugar
the juice of half a lemon
1 cinnamon stick
1 piece fresh orange peel
pistachios, finely chopped for sprinkling (optional)

In a spice grinder, grind the cinnamon, allspice, cloves and cardamom very fine.

Mix the water and rose water and, for convenience, pour it into a spray bottle and set aside.

Cut the filo pastry to fit into a baking pan 33 x 23 x 5 cm/13 x 9 x 2 in. Greece the pan with butter, then brush each of 8 of the cut sheets with the melted butter and place on top of each other on the bottom of the pan.

Mix the almonds, walnuts and pistachio with the sugar and spread a third of this mixture over the top sheet, then spray thoroughly with the rose water. Repeat this process two more times, finishing with the last layer of filo. Brush the top generously with butter, then place in the preheated oven to bake for 30 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cut into 24 squares (roughly 55 x 58 mm/2.2 x 2.3 in).

Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, and place on a cooling rack to cool down for 2 hours before pouring over the syrup.

Meanwhile, prepare the syrup in a saucepan by bringing all the ingredients except the pistachios, to a boil, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Boil for about 10 minutes, then remove from the heat and discard the orange peel and cinnamon stick.
After the tart has cooled down, make sure the cut lines go right through. Pour the hot syrup over the whole of the tart. Sprinkle some finely chopped pistachios over, then leave the pan uncovered to rest for at least 8 hours.

STELLA's avatar

By STELLA

I have had no formal chef’s training. Classical piano was my parents’ choice, and that took care of the first 20 years of my life. Journalism and radio followed (my own choices, this time), and these opened many doors for me into different countries, people, cultures — and, of course, foods. In a six week series on radio I used it as a platform for my love of food and shared lots of interesting recipes and food news with listeners.
My earliest memories of food come from the family kitchen at home; I can still remember the wonderful smells of the dishes my mother prepared. I became aware of the flavors of her creations at an early age. Some I enjoyed and preferred, while others depressed me with their lack of interesting flavors. My mother was a good cook, but not a gourmet, and sadly this often showed. What I did appreciate was that she always involved me in the preparation, sharing her knowledge of nutrition, flavor, color, and the harmonies of each plate she dished up. She was also a genius with leftovers and quick meals when unexpected guests arrived. This is one of the things that stands out in my mind, and it inspired me to create wonderful dishes from leftover foods myself.

I carried on with the tradition of carefully planning meals to combine nutrition, color and flavor, while at the same time offering variety and elegant presentation. In the process, I developed a passion for seeking out the best available products, adhering to each season’s offerings, and treating it with the respect it deserves, which eventually became part of my daily culinary life and travels. I did these things not because I wanted to become a chef, but to satisfy myself, family and friends with creations of gorgeous food and exciting flavors. All of which, I hope, is reflected in this blog.

One reply on “Layered filo pastry tart baked with a mixture of nuts, spices and rosewater syrup”

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