This small batch baklava is so so so good. I love baklava.. it is probably my favourite dessert ever! It is crispy, syrupy, nutty and delicious. This small batch baklava still provides enough to fully enjoy, but just a slightly smaller amount than classic baklava recipes... perfect for just you to enjoy!
Ingredients
The only ingredients you need for this recipe are listed below. I actually always assumed baklava would be more complicated than it is but it really isn't, and the ingredients needed are minimal.
- Filo pastry
- Pistachios
- Pecans
- Water
- Sugar
- Honey
- Cinnnamon
- Cloves
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
The first thing you are going to do is make a sugar syrup and leave these simmering for 20 minutes. You are then going to layer each filo pastry layer with butter and then add your nut crumb every ⅓ filo. You will bake and then once golden and crispy, add your sugar syrup.
Layer the filo pastry
Layer the nut crumb
Bake
Add the sugar syrup
Hint: Ensure that you brush your butter all over the filo pastry layers. If you miss bits, the filo will burn easier which is not what we want for our baklava!
Substitutions
This baklava is already plant-based (if you use plant-based butter), but there may be some other substitutions you want to make.
- Nuts - you could sub the pistachios and pecans out for any nuts that you prefer. Walnuts or cashews would be so so good here!
- Syrup - I simply add cloves to the sugar syrup in this recipe. However, you could spice it up with whatever you like: cinnamon sticks, cardamon pods, lemon, orange, etc.
Equipment
Simply, you will need a saucepan to make the sugar syrup and a baking tray to bake the baklava. No high-tech equipment needed here, just basic kitchen appliances.
Storage
Store at room temperature in an air-tight container for 5-7 days. It is best when it is fresh though!
Top tip
I mentioned this previously but it is really important that you brush your butter all over every layer of the filo. Be cautious with this and ensure that every inch is coated - this helped to prevent the filo pastry from browning too much.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Small Batch Baklava
Ingredients
- 200 g Filo pastry
- 100 g Pistachios
- 100 g Pecans
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon powder
- 5 tablespoon Butter
- 60 g Sugar
- 200 ml Water
- 150 g Honey/ Syrup
- 1 tablespoon Whole cloves
Instructions
- In a saucepan, add the sugar and water. Place onto a medium-high heat until the sugar has dissolved. Then add the honey syrup and cloves. Bring to a boil and then leave it to simmer for 20 minutes.
- Pre-heat your oven to 180°C/ 356°F.
- In a high power food processor, add your pecans and pistachios. Blend until a fine crumb has formed. Then, add the cinnamon. Combine.
- Cut your filo pastry into the correct shape for the baking tray that you are using. I used a small baking tray to make these small batch, so will the 200g of roll out filo pastry I had, I cut around the baking tray 3 times.
- Layer each slice of ⅓ of the filo up with butter. The easiest way to do this is by using a brush to brush the butter on. Once you have layered ⅓ of the filo up with butter in between each layer, spread half of the nut mixture on top of the filo. Then, repeat the same process with the filo pastry and butter for another ⅓ of the filo pastry. Then, add the remaining half of the nut crumb. Finally, use the last ⅓ of the filo pastry to follow the same process again- brushing the filo pastry each stage with butter. Leave the last filo pastry layer unbuttered.
- Whilst it is still raw, cut the baklava into your desired shape. See photos to see how I cut mine. Bake the baklava 20 minutes.
- Once the baklava is out of the oven, pour over the strained sugar syrup. Ensure you evenly pour this over all of the baklava pieces.
- Leave the baklava to cool and then enjoy! Let me know how you get on in the comments section below.
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