Baklava

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Place all the syrup ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by a third. Leave to cool in the fridge.
3. Chop the nuts in a food processor until coarsely ground, then tip into a bowl and stir through the ground cinnamon and cloves.
4. Using a pastry brush, lightly grease a shallow tin about 30 x 20cm with the melted butter.
5. Gently unfold the phyllo and cover it with a damp tea towel to stop it from cracking.
6. Layer sheets of Phyllo in the tin and brush each layer with melted butter. After 6 layers, scatter over some of the nut mixture; repeat with 6 layers of filo, then nuts, building up the layers until they are finished, but ending with 6 layers of Phyllo pastry.
7. Then brush generously with butter on top. Cut into diamonds with a sharp knife – ensure the blade goes right to the bottom.
8. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 30–35 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp, reducing the temperature to 170℃ if the baklava looks as though it is browning too quickly.
9. Remove the baklava from the oven and spoon over half the cooled syrup over the top.
10. Leave for 5 minutes, then spoon over the remaining syrup.
11. Allow the baklava to cool before removing the individual pieces from the dish with a palette knife.