Essentially, Baklava is a pastry made from layers of filo filled with chopped nuts  and soaked through with syrup. It’s a honeyed heavyweight - a sticky fingered immoderate indulgence. Just a couple of pieces is more than enough to overwhelm the senses and sate the most voracious of desires.

Preparation Time: 30 min
Cooking Time: 45 min
Difficulty Level: Medium
Serving: 24

Ingredients - Baklava Pastry:

• 1 pack of Filo Pastry sheets

• 250 grams unsalted butter, melted

• 250 grams ground walnuts

Ingredients - Syrup:

• 2 cups water

• 3 cups sugar or honey

Cooking directions:

1. To make the syrup, pour the water and sugar/honey  in a saucepan. Bring this mixture to the boil, and continue boiling for about 5 minutes. Simmer for a further 15 minutes, then take off the heat. Transfer the mixture into a bowl to cool.
2. Cut the sheets of filo pastry into rectangles that roughly fit the bottom of the glass dish. Having buttered the dish, place a sheet of filo pastry into the bottom. Spread a little butter on the sheet, then put another sheet on top – butter, and continue this process. Every 6 to 8 sheets, sprinkle in some nuts so they form a nice, crunchy, nutty layer. Keep raising the layers until they are about a couple of inches high, just the right height to pop into your mouth.
3.Cut the Baklava into individual rectangles. Then bake in a oven for about 40 to 50 minutes until golden brown on top. Remove your glass dish from the oven, and leave to stand for about 10 minutes. Pour the lukewarm syrup all over the Baklava, cover, and leave until it’s completely cool and the pastry has soaked up a good amount of the syrup.

Suggestions:
Baklava is best if you wait several days before eating it. The walnuts can be replaced by pistachios, or you could use a combination.