Greek-Baklava rolls .

Bakalava~ Delicious layers of crispy flaky pasty filled with protein packed nuts and sweetened with a sweet syrup.

Ingredients:

60 g / 2 oz shelled pistachio nuts 

60 g / 2 oz flaked almonds
60 g / 2 oz walnuts
2 tablespoons golden syrup
60 g  / 2 oz butter (melted)
4 sheets phyllo pastry

Sugar Syrup:

240 g / 8 oz sugar
125 ml water
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Special equipment:

1 cm diameter wooden dowel (stick)
Baking Tray

Method:

1. Coarsely chops the nuts and place them in a bowl, add the golden syrup and mix well.(Mixture should be fairly dry.)
2. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C / 350 degrees F
3. On a flat surface place 1 sheet of phyllo pastry and brush it with melted butter. Spread half the nut mixture onto it .

4. Place the wooden dowel at the longest end of the phyllo pastry and start rolling the pastry over the dowel encasing all the filling.Keep the dowel with the rolled pastry to one side covered with damp cloth.
5. Spread the second sheet of phyllo on the surface and brush with melted butter. Place the roll of pastry with the dowel in it at the long end and tightly roll the 2nd phyllo sheet over the already rolled 1st roll.
6. Place the roll of pastry in front of you on the flat surface. Holding the pastry with both hands scrunch it up on the dowel to form pleats.The pastry roll will be shorter now as its been scrunched together.

7. Hold the roll with one hand and gently remove the dowel rod.
8. Grease a baking tray and place the roll on it. With a sharp knife cut the roll into 2 inch pieces.
9. Repeat the procedure for the other two phyllo sheets using remaining filling.
10. Once both rolls are made, brush some more butter over them . Place the baking tray in the oven to bake for about 30 minutes or until pastry turns golden brown.
11. Place the sugar, lemon juice and water in a heavy bottomed pan  and bring to boil.

12. Boil the syrup for 8 -10 minutes and then remove from heat.
13. Remove Baklava from oven and gently spoon over the sugar syrup over the baked rolls .
14. Leave the syrup to soak into the pastry for 2-3 hours before eating.

You can check out a video of this method of Rolling the Baklava rolls .

The baking tin that was used to bake the  Baklava was  was sent to me by Mermaid.
Mermaid make a really lovely range of all British collection of high quality cookware that offers a solution for every baking need from roasting dishes and trays through to cake tins and moulds. Mermaid is very popular and it is  loved by professional chefs and home cooks alike, they have been established since 1953. In their Baking  tins they are currently on offer 25cm (rectangular), 21cm (round) and 15cm companion size. I was offered  the rectangular 25ch  tin to sample. The quality of the tin was superb,it was sturdy but light weight at the same time. It is made from hard anodised aluminium which eliminates hot spots and ensures even cooking all the way through. Thankyou to Mermaid for the lovely baking tin/ pie dish to try.

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