So rich and full of flavors! This sweet pastry made of layers of phyllo dough filled with pistachios and sweetened with syrup is pure heaven. It requires a lot of effort but it is certainly worth it!
Serves: 8-10 Prep. time: 30′ Cooks in: 60′ Ready in: 1:30′
For the baklava
¾ cup water
1 cup white granulated sugar
1 tsp edible dried rose buds
6 sheets of phyllo pastry
150 g pistachios, crushed
½ cup butter from cow’s milk, melted
pistachio florentines, crushed, for decorating
For the pistachio mousse
500 ml double cream
250 g cream cheese, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs, room temperature
½ cup white granulated sugar
3 tbsp water
100 g pistachios, finely crushed
½ cup whole milk, room temperature
1 sachet gelatin soaked in a little cold water
Method
Step 1
Transfer water, sugar and rose buds in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for 8 minutes until syrupy. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
Step 2
Preheat oven at 170C/fan and brush a rectangle baking tin (approximately 35×25 cm) with butter. Line the first sheet in the tin, butter and crinkle it to fit in the tin. Scatter ⅕ crushed pistachios over the pastry and continue the layering, buttering and scattering nuts for 4 more layers finishing with a phyllo sheet (crinkle and drizzle with butter as well).
Step 3
Score baklava in half lengthways and then in square pieces. Bake until nicely colored. Remove from the oven and set aside for 2 minutes. Drain syrup and discard rose buds. Drizzle baklava with the cold syrup using a tablespoon. Allow to cool completely.
Step 4
In the meantime, prepare the mousse: In a small saucepan heat water and sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk eggs until pale, thick and fluffy. Slowly add hot syrup. The mixture should fall in a ribbon rather than a stream. When mixture cools down fold in cream cheese and vanilla until well-combined. Set aside.
Step 5
In a sauce pan heat milk with finely crushed pistachios. When it comes to a boil remove pan from heat and stir in soaked gelatin until dissolved and well-combined.
Step 6
Beat double cream until thick and fluffy, like yogurt. Stir in egg mixture and gelatin mixture until well-combined. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
Step 7
Assembling the cake: Place half baklava on a serving platter, spread half mousse, continue with the second half of the baklava and remaining mousse. Refrigerate until serving. Before serving decorate with pistachio florentines, crumbled.
Photo: George Drakopoulos – Food styling: Tina Webb
Και η συνταγή στα ελληνικά: Tούρτα μπακλαβά με μους φιστικιού Αιγίνης
