Baklava

• Ingredients:

• 375g (3 3/4 cups) walnuts
• 200g (1 1/4 cups) blanched whole almonds
• 75g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 125g unsalted butter, melted
• 375g packet filo pastry (see Top tips)

Syrup

• 220g (1 cup) caster sugar
• 120g (1/3 cup) honey
• 60ml (1/4 cup) lemon juice
• 4 wide strips lemon zest
• 9 cloves

• Method
• Notes

1. Step 1
   To make syrup, combine the sugar, honey, lemon juice and zest, cloves and 180ml (3/4 cup) water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 3 minutes, then set aside to cool.
2. Step 2
   To make filling, process walnuts in a food processor until finely chopped (take care not to over-process or nuts will become oily). Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with almonds, then add to walnuts with sugar and cinnamon. Combine well.
3. Step 3
   Generously brush base and sides of an 18cm x 28cm (3.5cm-deep) slice pan with butter. Unroll filo on a large chopping board and place prepared pan on top. Using a small, sharp knife, cut around pan all the way through the filo sheets. Discard trimmings. Keep filo covered with a clean, slightly damp tea towel to prevent the sheets drying out. Working with 1 filo sheet at a time, brush with butter, then place in pan. Repeat with 8 filo sheets to create 9 layers. Evenly scatter over half of the nut mixture.
4. Step 4
   Repeat buttering and layering with another 6 filo sheets, placing them over the nut filling. Evenly scatter over remaining nut mixture. Repeat buttering and layering with another 6 filo sheets, placing over the second layer of nut filling. Using your hands, press filo gently to compress slightly. Brush top well with butter.
5. Step 5
   Preheat oven to 160C fan-forced. Place baklava in the freezer for 10 minutes to firm (this will make it easier to score filo). Using a small, sharp knife, score the top few layers of filo in diamond shapes; to do this, score filo parallel to the short sides of the pan at 5cm intervals, then score it at a 45-degree angle to the first cuts at 5cm intervals. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden (cover with baking paper if the pastry is over-browning).
6. Step 6
   Pour syrup over hot baklava in pan, then stand for 2 hours or until the syrup is absorbed and baklava is cool.
7. Step 7
   Using a sharp knife, cut baklava into pieces along score marks to serve. Baklava will keep, covered with plastic wrap in the pan, in a cool, dark place for up to 1 week.