Baklava

Ellen Pickett

1 pound strudel or filo pastry sheets

½ pound sweet butter, melted

½ pound walnuts, coarsely ground

¼ pound blanched almonds, coarsely ground

¼ pound sesame seeds

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon icing sugar

subheading: Syrup:

3 cups sugar

4 cups water

Juice of ¼ lemon

1 piece orange peel

1 piece lemon peel

½ cup liquid honey

Toast the almonds and sesame seeds for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Combine with the walnuts, cinnamon and sugar.

Melt the butter over low heat. Lightly grease a large baking pan which is at least ½ inch deep.

On your work area, take the pastry sheets one by one and, using a pastry brush, spread each with melted butter, one on top of the other, making seven layers. Again brush the top sheet.

Sprinkle the nut mixture from the long side of the rectangle to the centre, leaving the other half clear.

Roll the pastry from the nut-sprinkled side, jelly-roll fashion, to make a complete roll with the nuts in the centre and sheets of pastry around them.

Repeat these same steps over and over again until all the sheets and nut mixture have been used.

Brush each roll with butter.

Preheat the oven to 350 F and bake for about 45 minutes or until lightly browned.

subheading: For Syrup:

Bring the sugar, water, and peel to a boil and allow to simmer for 45 minutes or until the syrup is honey coloured.

Remove from the heat and add lemon juice and honey.

When the baklava is baked, remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

Cut in 2-inch diagonal pieces and return to oven to heat thoroughly.

Remove from the oven again and cover with warm (not hot) syrup, using all the syrup.

I am hoping to convert this recipe to Specific Carbohydrate Diet, which is grain-free and sugar-free, but which allows nuts and honey.

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