Baklava with rose water and pistachio

Here comes the Winter holidays season with Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Traditionally, in Bulgaria planning the homemade festive menu and making cooking lists is very important for this festive time of the year.

We can feel the Christmas spirit coming out the oven, together with the cookies and all traditional sweet and salty pastries we prepare in Bulgaria – tikvenik (pumpkin filled pastry), banitsa (rolled pastry with cheese and eggs filling), baklava (sweet dessert with sugar syrup and nuts). Baklava is what we think of  writing these lines. Even if we didn’t eat a single piece of this sweet dessert all year round, during winter holidays we are more than ready to catch up. This pastry is typical for all countries on the Balkans and we enjoy all its variations. What’s more, we have prepared a recipe to share with you that combines culinary traditions of baklava with our beloved rose flavour. And, rose and pistachio pair so amazingly good that we feel this baklava recipe can really add to your festive menu, too. So, why don’t you go for that culinary trip with us?

BAKLAVA WITH ROSE WATER AND PISTACHIO

PRODUCTS:
for 16 small pieces

16 sheets of phyllo dough
150 g melted butter
150 g pistachio (without the shells)

For the syrup:
1 cup of water
2 cups sugar
1 table spoon lemon juice
3 table spoons Rosey’s mark rose water

RECIPE:

1. Finelly blend the pistachio nuts.
2. To preparre the sugar syrup, mix the water and the sugar in a sauce pan, bring to boil and leave it boiling at medium heat for 15 minutes. Finally add the lemon juice and let cool.
3. Spread out one sheet of phyllo dough and grease with melted butter the whole phyllo sheet. Spread 2-3 table spoons of the finely chopped pistachio on top.
4. Put a second phyllo dough sheet on top, butter and spread pistachio again.
5. Fold the phyllo sheets from both sides to the inside and press well. Butter on top again.
6. Start rolling the phyllo tightly, leaving no air inside between the phyllo sheets.
7. Continue the same way with all 8 baklava rolls and put in a baking dish.
8. Grease again with butter on top of the baklava rolls and cut in the middle, so that 16 small baklava rolls are made.
9. Bake for about 60 minutes at 160°С, no fan, till it gets that brown colour.
10. Add the rose water to the cooled syrup and pour the syrup abundantly on top of the rolls while the baklava is still hot.
11. Leave the baklava rest for at least few hours before serving so that the syrup can do its magic. Serve with dried rose petals on top.

We wish you warm, cozy and sweet festive moments!