Description
This homemade baklava recipe combines layers of flaky filo pastry with roasted walnuts and a fragrant honey-lemon syrup infused with rosewater and cinnamon. With a perfect balance of crunch, sweetness, and aromatic spices, this classic Middle Eastern dessert is baked to golden perfection and soaked in a luscious syrup for an unforgettable treat that tastes even better the next day.
Ingredients
Baklava Layers
- 250 g filo pastry (1 pack of store-bought filo pastry)
- 80 g unsalted butter (melted)
- 320 g walnuts (roasted then pulse blended)
Syrup
- 180 g water
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 75 g honey
- 1 lemon juice (approx juice of 1 lemon)
- 1 lemon zest (in 3-4 pieces for easy removal)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tablespoon pure 100% natural rosewater
Instructions
- Roast Walnuts: Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Spread the walnuts on a baking tray and roast for 5-10 minutes until you smell a lovely nutty aroma. Remove from oven and let cool.
- Prepare Walnuts: Pulse the roasted walnuts in a food processor to break them into very tiny pieces but do not grind into powder. Alternatively, chop finely with a sharp knife.
- Melt Butter: Melt the unsalted butter in the microwave for about one minute or until fully liquid.
- Prepare Filo Pastry: Trim the filo sheets to fit your baking pan (approximately a 15 cm or 6-inch round cake pan). Handle the filo carefully to avoid tearing.
- Keep Filo Covered: To prevent drying, cover filo sheets lightly by placing them between two very lightly wet tea towels while assembling.
- Assemble Layers: Take two filo sheets at a time, brush them generously with melted butter, then layer them in the pan. Follow the layering pattern: 6 sheets at the bottom, then 2 sheets brushed with butter; repeat 3 times with 20 sheets in the middle, sprinkling 1 tablespoon of walnuts every 2 buttered sheets, repeated 10 times; finish with 6 sheets on top, layering 2 sheets brushed with butter repeated 3 times.
- Chill: Place the assembled baklava in the fridge for 30 minutes to set before baking.
- Preheat Oven: Set oven temperature to 180°C (356°F).
- Score Pastry: Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the baklava into diamond shapes to allow the syrup to penetrate later.
- Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the top turns a beautiful golden brown.
- Prepare Syrup: While baking is finishing, combine water, sugar, honey, lemon juice, lemon zest, and cinnamon stick in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and let simmer for 5-10 minutes until slightly thickened to syrup consistency. Remove from heat, discard lemon zest and cinnamon stick, then stir in rosewater.
- Add Syrup: Pour the hot syrup evenly over the freshly baked baklava as soon as it comes out of the oven.
- Rest: Allow the syrup to soak into the baklava for several hours at room temperature, ideally overnight, for full flavor development.
- Serve: Serve baklava at room temperature, best enjoyed the day after baking.
Notes
- Use pure 100% natural rosewater for an authentic fragrant flavor.
- Do not grate lemon zest; keep in pieces for easy removal from syrup.
- Handle filo sheets gently as they are fragile and dry out quickly.
- Chilling the assembled baklava before baking helps it hold the layers together.
- The baklava tastes even better after resting overnight to allow syrup absorption.
- Cut baklava before baking to allow syrup to penetrate thoroughly.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern
