Baklava

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 500 g puff pastry for baklava, e.g. from Baktat
• 375 g clarified butter
• 200 g walnuts or pistachios
• 600 ml water
• 400 g sugar
• 3 ml lemon juice
• 1 pinch of salt

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Rest time approx. 4 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 49 minutes

just as guests like it

Preheat the oven to 150°C. Roughly chop the nuts in a food processor. Heat the clarified butter over low heat. Brush a baking sheet with the butter. Lay out the puff pastry, one at a time, on the baking sheet, brushing every other layer with the melted butter. About halfway through the puff pastry, spread the nuts over the dough, then continue to lay out the layers one at a time until the end. Cut out the overlapping pastry edges with a sharp knife. Cut the dough into checkerboard-shaped squares measuring approximately 5×5 cm using a sharp knife. Heat the clarified butter to approximately 120°C. Spread the hot butter evenly over the dough with a ladle; it may sizzle slightly. Shortly afterwards, bake in the preheated oven at 150°C (top and bottom heat or fan-assisted oven) for 35-40 minutes until golden brown. Meanwhile, for the syrup, combine the water and sugar and stir on the stove until the syrup is clear. Add a pinch of salt and simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Then briefly remove from the heat, add the lemon juice, and simmer for another 5 minutes. Allow the syrup to cool (do not refrigerate) and spread evenly over the cooled baklava. Now let the syrup sit at room temperature for 3 hours. Leave the baklava uncovered. Decorate the baklava with chopped pistachios before serving. Vanilla or walnut ice cream make a great accompaniment.