Baklava

As you may have noticed, the blog is yet again hopelessly outdated. In our defence, we've had two birthdays (mine and the little princess') as well as a whole bunch of other things. But last night we had some friends over for dinner and Mally made a Greek meze-type veggie feast (details will follow) and ended it off with a superb vegan baklava. Try it, it's delicious! J

Vegan Baklava

(makes 12 pieces)

Ingredients

Baklava

375g mixed nuts, crushed

1/2 cup maple flavoured syrup/maple syrup

3 sheets phyllo pastry

10 ml cinnamon

1 tbsp lemon juice

Oil for brushing

Syrup

1/2 cup maple flavoured syrup/maple syrup

1/2 cup caster sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

600 ml water

2 slivers orange peel

Method

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius

Nut Mixture

Mix crushed nuts with 1/2 cup maple syrup, 1 tbsp lemon juice and cinnamon and set aside

Syrup

Mix water, sugar, maple syrup, lemon juice and orange peel

Bring to boil on medium heat

Reduce to half volume

Remove orange peel

Baklava

Brush first sheet of phyllo pastry

Fold in half and in half again

Put 1/3 nut mixture along the middle of pastry and roll tightly

Transfer to roasting tin

Repeat for last sheets

Brush the tops of all sheets with oil

Bake for one hour

Remove from oven

Cut each roll into four pieces and transfer to serving bowl

Pour syrup over all the pieces and allow to stand