A few days ago I announced a new section in the blog, world recipes!

Being fashionable is more than wearing clothes that look good on you, is also being a great host when you have guests eating at home. And there is nothing more handmade and home cooked food =)

I offered everyone to send me their recipes and already have a few available. I know I announced that the first recipe would be my own, but didn't have time to put together the sangria recipe (lol, like it is THAT difficult haha), so here you have the first recipe in this blog! Baklava, brought to you by the super awesome and multi talented Anna.

Baklava or baklawa is a rich sweet pastry typical from former Ottoman countries (Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, ...)

BAKLAVA
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 cup finely chopped almonds
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tspn cinnamon
1/2 tspn cloves, ground
12 sheets filo pastry

SYRUP
2 1/2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 cup honey
1 lemon slice
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves

Combine nuts and sugar, cinnamon and cloves.
Butter a rectangle baking tray. Lay two sheets of the filo pastry onto the tray, brush with butter, and sprinkle on some of the nut mixture. Continue alternating the 2 buttered filo sheets with the nut mixture, ending with two filo sheets on top.

Cut the baklava with a knife in serving size pieces. Pour remaining butter over the top and sprinkle with water.
Place into a moderate oven (180C) and bake for 45 mins.

For the syrup, boil sugar, water, lemon slice, cinnamon and cloves for 1 min. Add honey and boil for extra 2-3 mins, removing honey froth from side of pot as it forms.
Once the baklava has finished in the oven, remove and poor the syrup over it.
Leave it to cool down to room temperature and serve.

Yummy!

I have read that instead of walnuts you can also use pistachios. Try that version too! =)

Thanks a lot Anna for this fabulous recipe! =) Please take a look at her shops to see her creativity: art and jewelry!