Serves 20
Ingredients
Syrup
2 cups sugar
2 whole cloves
1 slice lemon
½ tsp ground cardamom
500ml water
Filling
3 cups finely chopped Mandolé Orchard Natural Almonds
2 tsp The Australian Super Food Co Wattleseed Native Herbs & Spices or 1 tsp ground cardamom and 1 tsp mixed spice
½ cup caster sugar
16 sheets filo pastry
160g unsalted butter, melted
Method
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Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease an 18 × 28 cm shallow tin.
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For the syrup, place sugar, cloves, lemon, cardamom and 500ml of water in a large heavy-based pan and bring to the boil whilst stirring. Allow to simmer for 12 minutes, remove the cloves and lemon and pop into the fridge to cool.
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For the filling, mix the almonds, wattleseed mix and sugar in a bowl. Take 4 sheets of filo and layering the pastry, brush each sheet lightly with some of the melted butter. Fold the sheets in half crossways, trim the edges so the pastry fits the base of the tin, then place in the tin.
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Sprinkle ⅓ of the nut mixture over the filo, then top with another 4 sheets of filo, brushing each with some of the melted butter and then layering, folding and trimming.
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Repeat the layers twice more. Trim the edges of the top layers of filo, brush with melted butter and score into large diamonds. Bake for 30–35 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
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Last but not least, pour the cold syrup over the hot baklava and refrigerate overnight before cutting into diamonds.
Delicious! Tootie x
