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Homemade Baklava with Nuts and Honey

Based on a recipe from the book "Moroccan Cooking" by Rivka Levy Malul with our changes and adaptations.
Servings 1 20*30 cm square cake pan
Author Natalie

Ingredients

For phyllo layers:

  • 16 of phyllo dough sheets
  • 80 ml. (1/3 cup) vegetable oil

For the filling:

  • 100 grams almonds
  • 70 grams hazelnuts
  • 100 grams pistachios
  • 70 grams of pecans
  • 50 grams of sesame seeds
  • 120 grams (1/3 cup) of honey
  • 1 tbsp. cinnamon
  • ½ tsp. salt

For the syrup:

  • 200 grams (1 cup) sugar
  • 180 ml. (3/4 cup) water
  • 2 tbsp. lemon juice

Instructions

Prepare the filling:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180c degrees.
  2. Place almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios and pecans on an oven pan lined with baking paper and roast for about 10 minutes until golden.
  3. Cool slightly at room temperature.
  4. Grind the nut mixture in a food processor with a steel blade to fine crumbs.
  5. Transfer the ground nuts to a bowl and add sesame, honey, cinnamon and salt. Mix with a spoon until a uniform mixture is obtained.

Assemble the baklava:

  1. Grease the pan well.
  2. Place one phyllo leaf on the base and brush with oil. Top it with another phyllo, brush with oil and again until you get a layer of 4 leaves. Place about 1/3 of the amount of filling and apply to a uniform layer.
  3. Place another four phyllo leaves brushed with oil on top of the nut layer, and another 1/3 of the amount of the filling, and repeat until the filling and the phyllo leaves end. Finish with a top layer of phyllo leaves brushed with oil.

Baking the baklava:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180c degrees and bake the baklava for 30-40 minutes until golden.
  2. Remove from the oven and cool slightly at room temperature.

Make the syrup:

  1. Cook sugar, water and lemon juice for 5-10 minutes until thick syrup is obtained.
  2. Pour the hot syrup over the baklava and let it cool completely at room temperature.
  3. Refrigerate for an hour or two and cut into squares of the desired size.

Recipe Notes

  • Keep the baklava in a closed container for up to a week.
  • It is recommended to serve the baklava at room temperature.
  • It is important not to give up the lemon in syrup because it slightly balances the sweetness.
  • You can use any type of nuts you like.
  • You can use coconut instead of sesame.