Apricot and Hazelnut Baklava

Baklava epitomises the pleasures in Middle Eastern foods. It is a Middle Eastern and Greek sweet pastry made with layers of filo pastry filled with dried fruit, crushed nuts, spices and a sweet syrup. It is very rich and sweet and a little goes a long way.

Serves: 12

Ingredients:
Pastry
12 sheets filo (30cm x18cm)
50g butter, melted

Nut Layer
100g hazelnuts, roasted and chopped
25g sesame seeds, lightly toasted
1 tbsp Demerara sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice

Apricot layer
200g dried apricots

Syrup
150g Demerara sugar
1 tbsp runny honey
75ml orange juice
100ml water
1/2 cinnamon stick
3 cardamom pods
1 tbsp orange blossom water

Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 190C/Gas5.
Line a shallow rectangular cake tin measuring approx 30cm x18cm with baking parchment.
To make the nutty layer. Mix the roasted hazelnuts, sesame seeds, sugar and spices together and set aside.
Make the apricot layer. Cover the apricots with water, bring to the boil and simmer until soft, puree to a thick consistency.
To layer the Baklava. Brush each and every sheet of filo well with melted butter. Line the tin with 3 sheets of filo, one on top of each other. Now add a nut layer topped with 2 sheets of filo, then an apricot layer, then 2 sheets of filo, a nut layer, and so on, aim to have 2 nut layers and 2 apricot layers in the middle. Finish with 3 sheets of filo, and brush the top with butter.
Score the Baklava into diamonds, but don’t cut right down to the bottom.
Bake in the pre-heated oven until crisp and golden. About 45 minutes. Leave to cool.
To make the syrup, put all the syrup ingredients, except the orange blossom water into a saucepan bring to the boil, stirring and then simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Take out the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods and stir in the orange blossom water.
Pour the syrup over the Baklava and cut through the diamonds to the bottom of the tin so that the syrup oozes right down to the bottom.
Serve with organic Greek style yoghurt or enjoy with strong espresso coffee.

Tips: Orange blossom water is available from Middle Eastern, Greek, wholefood shops and some supermarkets.