Mixed nut and honey baklava

Ingredients:

• 100g walnuts
• 100g almonds
• 100g pistachios
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 200g butter, melted
• 2 x 270g packets (12 sheets ) of filo pastry
• 300 g sugar 
• 100ml Greek honey
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 strips of orange zest

Method:

1. This Greek classic is a heady combination of nuts, honey, citrus and spices, sandwiched between crispy filo layers.

2. Preheat the oven to 180C / gas 4. Place all the syrup ingredients in a medium saucepan with 300ml of water and bring to a gentle simmer. Let it bubble away, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by a third. Leave to cool. (The syrup must be cook when it is pourd over the pastry otherwise the pastry will go soggy.)

3. Blitz the nuts in a food processor until coarse then tip into a bowl and stir through the cinnamon and cloves.

4. Lightly grease a 40 x 25cm shallow tin with the melted butter (using a pastry brush if you have one). Gently unfold the filo and cover with a damp tea towel to stop it cracking.

5. Layer sheets of filo in the tin and brush each layer with melted butter. After 4 layers, scatter over half the nut mixture - repeat with 4 layers of filo, then the rest of the nuts.Top with the last 4 layers of filo, then generously butter the top. Cut into diamonds with a sharp knife - ensuite the blade goes right to the bottom.

6. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven aon a hot baking sheet for 30 - 35 minutes or until golden brown and crisp, reducing the temperature to 170C /gas 3 if the baklava looks as though it is brown too quickly.

7. Remove the baklava from the oven and spoon half the cooled syrup over the top. Leave for 5 minutes, then spoon over the remaining syrup. Allow the baklava to cool before removing the individual pieces from the dish with a palette knife.