Greek Pistachio Baklava

Greek pistachio baklava, the Politiki way: thin phyllo, sweet pistachios, and no spice at all. It bakes in a low oven so the nuts keep their colour, then takes hot lemon syrup slowly, a ladle at a time. Makes about 32 small pieces, and it is better on the second day.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Greek

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1 30

Servings pieces

Calories 233kcal

Author by Jenny Skrapaliori Graves

Equipment

Food processor
10-inch round metal pan
Medium saucepan

Ingredients

For the baklava

250 grams raw unsalted shelled pistachios
250 gr unsalted butter 50 g soft for the pan, 200 g melted for the sheets
2 packages phyllo 450 g each, the thinnest you can find

For the syrup

600 gr granulated sugar
500 ml water
3 lemon slices

To finish

40 gr raw unsalted pistachios ground finer and set aside

Instructions

1. Grind the pistachios coarse in a food processor with the sugar, pulsing rather than running it. Remove 40 g, grind it finer, and set aside for the garnish.
2. Unroll one package of phyllo and lay the sheets flat. Set the pan upside down on top and cut around it so every sheet matches the pan. Return the trimmed stack to its plastic sleeve. Repeat with the second package. Save the trimmings for another use.
3. Melt 200 g of the butter gently, without letting it color.
4. Butter the pan thoroughly with the remaining 50 g of soft butter.
5. Lay the first package of trimmed sheets into the pan one at a time, brushing each with melted butter.
6. Spread the ground pistachios over the surface in an even layer.
7. Lay the second package of trimmed sheets on top, brushing each with melted butter. Tuck the edges down inside the pan and pour any remaining butter over.
8. Refrigerate 30 minutes, until the butter is firm.
9. Cut all the way through to the base of the pan, into diamonds, using a long sharp knife.
10. Mist the surface lightly with water.
11. Bake at 170°C / 340°F, conventional heat, middle rack, for 30 minutes, until golden.
12. Reduce the oven to 150°C / 300°F. Meanwhile, bring the sugar, water and lemon slices to the boil.
13. Remove the baklava. Pour off any pooled butter.
14. Pour the hot syrup over the hot baklava slowly, a ladle at a time, letting each addition absorb before adding more.
15. Scatter the reserved ground pistachio over each diamond.
16. Cool completely, uncovered and out of the fridge, before serving. Best on the second or third day.

Notes

Phyllo: use the thinnest available. Sheet counts vary between brands and do not matter — two 450 g packages is the measure.

Trimming to a round pan leaves a lot of offcuts; save them for tiropitakia.

Butter: tested against ghee. Plain butter gives the better flavour. Do not refrigerate the finished baklava. It softens the phyllo.

Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided is only an estimate and can vary based on the products used.

Nutrition