Baklava Tray with Filo Pastry, Spiced Nuts and Orange Blossom Syrup

Nut filling

• 250 g Walnuts
• 150 g Pistachios
• 50 g Caster sugar
• 2 tsp Ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch Fine sea salt

Baklava layers

• 250 g Unsalted butter
• 450 g Phyllo dough

Orange blossom and lemon syrup

• 250 ml Water
• 250 g Caster sugar
• 120 g Honey
• 1 medium Lemon
• 2 tbsp Orange Blossom Water
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract

1. Heat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Melt the unsalted butter in a saucepan over low heat, then keep it warm.
2. Roughly chop the walnuts and pistachios, aiming for a mix of small pieces and a few larger bits. Tip into a mixing bowl and stir in the caster sugar, ground cinnamon and fine sea salt.
3. Brush a baking tray generously with melted butter. Lay in a sheet of phyllo dough, brush with butter, then repeat to build up about 10 layers, keeping the remaining phyllo covered with a barely damp cloth as you work.
4. Scatter over about one third of the nut filling in an even layer. Add 5 more buttered layers of phyllo, then repeat the filling and layering twice more, finishing with about 10 buttered layers on top.
5. Using a sharp knife, cut the baklava into diamond shapes, slicing all the way through to the base. Pour any remaining melted butter evenly 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 browns too quickly, lower the oven to 160°C (320°F) for the final 15 minutes.
7. While the baklava bakes, make the syrup: combine the water, caster sugar and honey in a saucepan. Use a vegetable peeler to remove a few strips of lemon peel, then squeeze in the lemon juice and add the peel to the pan.
8. Bring the syrup to a gentle simmer and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Take off the heat, stir in the orange blossom water and vanilla extract, then leave warm.
9. As soon as the baklava comes out of the oven, slowly pour the warm syrup evenly over the hot pastry. Leave at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to soak, then cool completely before re-cutting along the lines to separate the diamonds cleanly.

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