Heavenly Baklava
Recipe created by Aine McAteer
This healthy dessert is made with coconut oil in place of the butter normally used and sweetened with maple syrup rather than sugar.
Ingredients
- 2 cups hazelnuts
- 3 cups pecans
- 1 Tbsp. orange zest
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 1/4 cups maple syrup or honey
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 12 sheets filo dough
- 1/2 cup coconut oil , melted
- 1/2 cup pistachios
Directions
Preheat oven to 325°.
Put the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and put into the oven for about 10 minutes to roast them. Put the hazelnuts, 3 cups of the pecans, orange zest and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped—you want to do this until they are chopped up small, not like a powder. Transfer the nut mixture to a bowl. (If you don't have a food processor, you can finely chop them by hand.)
Lightly oil a large baking tray or cookie sheet and cover with parchment paper. Lay 4 sheets of filo dough on the tray, brushing each one with coconut oil. Spread 1/3 of the nut mixture on top of the filo dough and drizzle with 1/3 cup syrup or honey top with another four sheets of dough, oiling each one. Top with 1/3 of the mixture and repeat, ending with dough on top. Brush the top liberally with oil, and slice into 2-inch squares or into triangles.
Bake for about 30 minutes.
Finely chop the 1/2 cup pistachios and whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup syrup and 1/4 cup orange juice. Drizzle the syrup and juice over the top of baklava and sprinkle with the chopped pistachios. Bake for a further 10 minutes.
Variatons:
Put the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and put into the oven for about 10 minutes to roast them. Put the hazelnuts, 3 cups of the pecans, orange zest and cinnamon in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped—you want to do this until they are chopped up small, not like a powder. Transfer the nut mixture to a bowl. (If you don't have a food processor, you can finely chop them by hand.)
Lightly oil a large baking tray or cookie sheet and cover with parchment paper. Lay 4 sheets of filo dough on the tray, brushing each one with coconut oil. Spread 1/3 of the nut mixture on top of the filo dough and drizzle with 1/3 cup syrup or honey top with another four sheets of dough, oiling each one. Top with 1/3 of the mixture and repeat, ending with dough on top. Brush the top liberally with oil, and slice into 2-inch squares or into triangles.
Bake for about 30 minutes.
Finely chop the 1/2 cup pistachios and whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup syrup and 1/4 cup orange juice. Drizzle the syrup and juice over the top of baklava and sprinkle with the chopped pistachios. Bake for a further 10 minutes.
Variatons:
- You can use other nuts such walnuts in place of the pecans, and in place of the hazelnuts, you could use almonds, pistachios, cashews or pumpkin seeds.
- As an alternative, lay down about 6 sheets of filo dough, oiling each one, mix the nuts with 1 cup agave syrup and spread half the mixture on the dough. Roll up sushi style and cut into 1-inch disks. Repeat, using the remainder of the nut mixture. Spread on a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and drizzle lightly with orange juice.
NEXT STORY
