Sweet homemade baklava

Baklava is one of the most delicious Mediterranean cakes. Grandmothers used to make it with simple oil, but I find it much tastier with olive oil. I recommend flavoring the syrup with citrus—orange or lemon—for added aroma and taste.

Afraid of working with filo dough? Don’t be. It’s like working with simple paper sheets. You’ll see how easy it is and will no longer need to chase after high-quality baklava on weekend trips. Just remember to defrost the frozen filo sheets as per the instructions.

Ingredients for a 20x30 cm pan:

1 pack of fresh or thawed filo sheets

1 cup mild olive oil

For the filling:

200 grams crushed walnuts

200 grams crushed pecans

200 grams (1 cup) sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the syrup:

200 grams (1 cup) sugar

1 packet of vanilla sugar

240 ml (1 cup) water

Juice and zest from a lemon or orange

Preparation:1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

2. Prepare the filling: Mix both types of nuts, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside a little for garnish.

3. Cut the filo sheets in half to get 28 sheets, sized to fit the pan.

4. Brush 10 sheets with olive oil and layer them in a greased pan. Spread half of the nut filling. Place another 6 sheets brushed with olive oil, then the remaining filling, and finish with 10 more sheets. Cut into diamond shapes, place a whole sheet on top, and bake for 25 minutes until golden.

5. Meanwhile, prepare the syrup: Bring to a boil the sugar, vanilla sugar, water, juice, and orange peel. Cook for 3-4 more minutes until thickened, then turn off the heat.

6. Pour the hot syrup over the hot cake. Let it cool.

Orly Plai-Bronstein, in collaboration with Olive Tree Oil