SOUROMENOS BAKLAVA

SOUROMENOS BAKLAVA
By: Lorena Uriarte

These are a coiled Greek version of the popular baklava.
Serves: makes 20-24 coils
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes

Equipment: chopping board, knife or food processor, pastry brush, greased baking tray, tea towel
Oven 200C

Ingredients:
1 box Fillo pastry
½ cup melted butter or olive oil
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
½ cup pistachio nuts, unsalted finely chopped

Syrup
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 orange, peel only
A little extra melted butter or oil to grease the baking tin

Method:
1. Prepare all ingredients and grease baking tray well before taking fillo out of the box
2. Lay fillo in a stack on your clean work surface and cover with a clean tea towel
3. Working on the top sheet first, brush lightly with melted butter or oil
4. Sprinkle surface with nuts. Remember these nuts have to go on all the sheets, a tablespoon is fine
5. Starting at one of the short edges, gather up the fillo like a loose fan fold
6. Don’t worry if fillo tears
7. Scroll the strip of gathered fillo and place in the baking tin
8. Continue until you have used up all the fillo and nuts and scrolls are packed in tightly into the baking tin
9. Bake at 200C for up to 40 minutes till golden and crunchy. Let cool for 10 minutes in tin
10. Whilst they are baking make the sugar syrup by boiling all ingredients and stirring till sugar is dissolved
11. Pour syrup over the pastries and let sit 4 hours or overnight to absorb the syrup.
12. Serve pastries at room temperature.

Variations:
For a more fragrant syrup you can add a little rosewater, cinnamon, cardamom or cloves to the syrup whilst it boils and strain before pouring over the pastries.