Baklava

Baklava  Preparation Time  60 minutes Cooking Time, 60 minutes; Serves 8 Ingredients for the phyllo pastry450 g refined flour   1 tablespoon vinegar         1 teaspoon oil             1 teaspoon lemon juice     1 cup hot water          200g butter  For the filling450 g mixed nuts (walnuts, pistachios, almonds), finely chopped 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder For the syrup1 cup water  ½ cup caster sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla essence ½ cup honey  To serve Sugar syrup Pistachio flakes Honey (optional) Gulkand Method For the phyllo pastryPlace half the flour in a bowl and mix in the vinegar, oil, lemon juice and hot water. Knead the dough on a floured surface till it is stiff. Divide the dough into 20 parts. Roll out each part into a very thin, almost translucent sheet, like a roomali roti. Cut into an 8-inch square, cover with a damp cloth and set aside. If using a pasta machine pass the dough through the machine till you reach mark 1. Dust with flour several times. Cut into squares and cover with a damp cloth. For the filling and sauceIn a bowl, toss the chopped nuts with cinnamon. Set aside. In a pan, heat together the sugar, honey and vanilla. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. To assemble the baklava Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. Butter the base and sides of an 8-inch square pan or tin. Spread two sheets of pastry on the base of the pan one on top of the other. Brush with melted butter, then add 2 more sheets. Repeat till you have about 8 layers of butter and pastry.  Sprinkle two to three spoonfuls of the nut mixture on top. Repeat the layers of pastry, butter and nuts. Use a sharp knife and cut the pastry into squares or diamond shapes while still in the tin. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, or till the pastry is crisp. Remove the baklava and pour the prepared sugar syrup all over the baklava; sprinkle with pistachio flakes. Set aside to cool. To serveArrange pieces of baklava on a plate. Drizzle with sugar syrup and sprinkle with pistachio slivers. For extra sweetness add some honey as well! Footnote: People have a sweet tooth but God has given me 32 sweet teeth! This is one of those recipes which has all of them craving for more. Note: Commercial phyllo pastry is made by machines as it has a texture that is very difficult to achieve by hand.   Use 450 g of readymade phyllo dough for this recipe.

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