Cashew, sesame & fennel baklava

Ingredients

For the baklava rolls

• 150g cashew nuts
• 50g sesame seeds
• 20g caster sugar
• 2½ tsp fennel seeds, finely ground
• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• 270g packet of filo pastry (approx 9 sheets, each 27cm x 43cm)
• 100g ghee, melted

For the orange syrup

• 120g caster sugar
• Juice of 1 orange
• 2 strips of orange peel
• 1 strip of lemon peel
• A pinch of sea salt
• 1 tsp orange blossom water

For the finishing touches

• 15g shelled pistachios, finely ground

Method

First, make the syrup. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, clementine juice, orange and lemon peel, salt and 60ml water. Bring the mixture to a bubbling boil, then reduce the heat to medium and gently simmer for 6 mins to thicken the syrup slightly. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the orange blossom water, then strain the syrup through a metal sieve to discard the aromatics. Set aside to cool.

Make and bake the baklava rolls. Heat the oven to 165°C and brush your baking tray or cake tin with ghee.

Place the cashew nuts, sesame seeds, sugar and ground spices in a food processor and pulse a few times to make a coarse crumb, similar to extra-coarse polenta, then set aside.

Remove the filo pastry from the package and lay it flat on a cutting board with the shorter side facing you. Cover the pastry with a damp cloth to prevent it drying out. Working with one sheet at a time, generously brush the pastry with melted ghee, then sprinkle 3 tbsp of the ground nut mix all along the short end of the filo closest to you.

Place a 5mm-thick wooden dowel or chopstick along the short edge and roll the pastry tightly over the dowel until you have a long filo finger. Brush the finished roll with ghee. Push both ends of the rolled pastry in towards the middle of the dowel to create a scrunched effect. Carefully slide the filo roll off the dowel and place it seam-side down in the cake tin in a straight line.

Repeat this process with the remaining filo pastry sheets. Place each roll a couple of millimetres apart for even baking. Cut each roll into three pieces using a stainless steel spatula knife or small paring knife. Bake for 35-40 mins, until crisp and dark golden brown. Remove the rolls from the oven and immediately pour the sugar syrup over them. Gently turn them in the tray to ensure even absorption of the syrup, then set aside to cool completely.

To plate up, sprinkle finely ground pistachios over the top before transferring the rolls to a serving plate. Indulge in them on their own or pair them with a Turkish-style coffee, black tea, or a cup of refreshing fresh mint tea. For a playful twist, swap them in as a substitute for wafer rolls with a bowl of booza or in an ice cream sundae.

Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry cupboard. Best enjoyed within two days for optimal freshness, though they rarely last that long!

Image: Joe Woodhouse

Recipe from Arabica: Small Plates, Big Connections by James Walters (Carnival)