Home-Style Baklava (Filo Pastry with Nuts and Honey Syrup)

Nut filling

• 200 g Pistachios, shelled
• 200 g Walnuts, shelled
• 2 tsp Ground cinnamon

Pastry

• 250 g Unsalted butter
• 500 g Phyllo dough

Honey lemon syrup

• 250 ml Water
• 200 g Caster sugar
• 200 g Honey
• 1 medium Lemon

1. Heat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Put the pistachios and walnuts in a mixing bowl and crush them to a coarse rubble with a knife, then stir in the ground cinnamon.
2. Melt the unsalted butter in a saucepan over low heat, then take it off the heat. Skim off any foam if you like, and keep the butter warm so it stays fluid.
3. Brush a baking tray generously with some of the melted butter. Lay in a sheet of phyllo dough, brush lightly with butter, and repeat to build a base of about 10 layers, keeping the remaining phyllo covered so it does not dry out.
4. Scatter over a third of the nut mixture in an even layer. Add 5 more buttered layers of phyllo, then repeat the nuts and phyllo twice more, finishing with about 10 buttered layers on top.
5. Using a sharp knife, cut the baklava into diamonds, cutting all the way through to the base. Drizzle any remaining butter over the top, letting it run into the cuts.
6. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes until deeply golden and crisp, rotating the tray halfway through for even colouring. If it is browning too quickly, lower the oven to 160°C (320°F) for the final 15 minutes.
7. While the baklava bakes, make the syrup: put the water and caster sugar in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring until dissolved. Add the honey, then squeeze in the lemon juice and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until slightly thickened.
8. As soon as the baklava comes out of the oven, slowly pour the warm syrup evenly over the hot pastry, aiming for the cuts. Leave at room temperature for at least 45 minutes, then cool fully until the layers set before lifting out the diamonds.

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