6

Pistachio baklava

SERVES 4-6 // PREP TIME 40 MINS // COOK 45 MINS (PLUS COOLING

The basic technique for baklava is relatively straightforward –

layer fillo; add butter – but there’s scope for experimentation in

the soaking syrup. We’ve added cinnamon and lemon, but try it

with rosewater, orange blossom, or with honey instead of sugar.

200 gm pistachio nuts

400 gm (4 cups) walnuts

75 gm (⅓ cup) caster sugar

375 gm fillo pastry

180 gm butter, melted

SYRUP

200 gm caster sugar

Zested rind of 1 lemon

1 cinnamon quill

1 Grease a 3cm-deep,

25cm-26cm round oven dish

or cake pan.

2 Process nuts and sugar in

a food processor until finely

chopped and combined.

3 Working with one fillo sheet

at a time (cover remaining fillo

with a damp tea towel while

you work), lay two-thirds of

Cardamom nut cake

SERVES 8-10 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 1-1¼ HRS (PLUS COOLING

A fragrant, nutty cake with a lot of moisture and richness to it. It’s not a Persian love cake,

but we couldn’t help throwing a few rose petals on top for a romantic touch.Pictured p89.

a sheet over the base of the

dish, brush with butter, and fold

overhanging fillo back over

onto the base, brushing again

with butter. Repeat with 9 more

sheets, laying them at varying

angles to cover the circular

pan. Scatter half the nut

mixture over the top, then

top with half the remaining

fillo sheets to cover, brushing

each layer with butter as you

go. Scatter with remaining

nuts and cover with remaining

sheets of fillo, brushing with

butter, then place a final sheet

of fillo on top, trimming it neatly

to fit. Smooth top and brush

with butter, then refrigerate

until firm (1 hour).

160 gm softened unsalted butter,

plus extra for greasing

Plain flour, for dusting

250 gm raw sugar

150 gm almonds, very finely

chopped

65 gm finely chopped walnuts

65 gm finely chopped pistachio

nuts, plus extra, coarsely

chopped to serve

Seeds from 7 cardamom

pods (½ tsp seeds), crushed

with a mortar and pestle

4 eggs

150 gm (1¼ cups) almond meal

½ tsp baking powder

80 gm plain yoghurt,

well stirred

Rose petals (see note), and

small roses, to serve

LEMON & ROSE ICING

90 gm (¼ cup) pure icing

sugar, sifted

Juice of ½-1 lemon

Few drops of rosewater

1 Preheat oven to 150°C. Butter

and flour a 22cm-diameter cake

tin and line the base with baking

paper.Beat butter and sugar

in an electric mixer until pale

(6-8 minutes). Stir in nuts and

cardamom seeds, then with the

motor running, add eggs one at

a time, beating well after each

addition. Fold in almond meal

and baking powder, then fold

in yoghurt. Spoon batter into

prepared tin and bake until

a skewer withdraws clean

(1¼-1½ hours). Cool in tin

(15-20 minutes). Carefully turn

out onto a plate, then invert

onto a wire rack so the original

top is facing up. Cool completely.

2 Meanwhile, for lemon and

rose icing, stir ingredients in a

bowl to combine. Transfer cake

to a plate, drizzle with icing and

serve topped with rose petals,

roses and pistachio nuts.

NoteWe brushed some

of the petals with eggwhite

then dusted them with

caster sugar and semi-dried

them (we let them stand at room

temperature for 2 hours) for

decoration, but this is optional.

Wine suggestionSweet

Rutherglen muscat.●

BaklavaLarge shallow dish

(with baklava) from Little

White Dish. Small saucer

from Luna Ceramics. All

other props stylist’s own.

Stockists p192.

4 Preheat oven to 180°C. With

a sharp knife, cut baklava into

8 even wedges (imagine cutting

a pizza), then within each wedge

make two sets of two cuts to

form diamonds. Bake until crisp,

golden and cooked through

(35-45 minutes; cover loosely

with foil partway through

cooking if the top is browning

too quickly).

5 Meanwhile, for syrup,

combine ingredients with

300ml water in a saucepan.

Bring to the boil, stirring to

dissolve sugar, then remove

from heat and leave to infuse

(15-20 minutes). Remove

cinnamon quill and discard.

6 Cool baklava briefly

(2-3 minutes), then pour

the syrup over it. Allow to

cool completely at room

temperature (overnight if

possible) before serving.

Baklava will keep, covered

tightly in the tray, for 2 days.

Wine suggestionSweet

auslese riesling.

90 GOURMET TRAVELLER