Description
These Golden Baklava Cigars are crisp, buttery, and just messy enough to feel homemade. The syrup soaks in beautifully, giving you that sticky, nutty bite that’s hard to stop at one.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Filling and Pastry
- 10 sheets of phyllo pastry
- 1 1/2 cups (150 g) walnuts, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup (80 g) blanched almonds, finely chopped
- OR 2 cups toasted mixed nuts
- 1/4 cup (55 g) caster sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves or allspice
- 2/3 cup (150 g) unsalted butter, melted
Topping
Syrup
- 1 lemon (140 g)
- 1 cup (220 g) caster sugar or 3/4 cup (for less sweetness)
- 1 cup (250 ml) water or 3/4 cup (for thicker syrup)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves
- A few strands of lemon rind
- 2 drops rose water
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix 1½ cups (150 g) walnuts, ½ cup (80 g) blanched almonds, ¼ cup (55 g) caster sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, and ½ tsp ground cloves.
- Preheat your oven to 350⁰F (180⁰C). Lightly grease your baking trays.
- Take 1 sheet of phyllo pastry and cut it crosswise into 3 strips. Keep the rest covered with a slightly damp tea towel so it doesn’t dry out; it happens fast.
- Brush each strip with some of the 2/3 cup (150 g) melted unsalted butter.
- Place a heaped tsp of the nut mixture at one end of each strip, leaving about a 3.5 cm border.
- Fold the sides inward, brush lightly with more butter, then roll up snugly into a cigar shape. Not too tight or they might split, but not loose either.
- Repeat with the remaining pastry, butter, and filling.
- Place the cigars seam side down on the prepared trays.
- Brush the tops with the remaining melted butter.
- Bake for about 12 minutes or until lightly golden and crisp. Keep an eye on them after 10 minutes; phyllo can turn quickly.
- Let them cool slightly on the trays.
- Using a vegetable peeler, remove thin strips of rind from half the lemon, avoiding the white pith.
- In a saucepan, combine 1 cup (220 g) caster sugar and 1 cup (250 ml) water.
- Heat gently, stirring without boiling, until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the lemon rind, 1 cinnamon stick, and 2 cloves. Simmer uncovered for 2 minutes without stirring.
- Remove from heat, stir in 2 drops of rose water, and let it cool for about 10 minutes.
- Arrange the warm cigars in a single layer in a shallow dish. Pour the warm syrup evenly over them.
- Let them sit until cooled to room temperature so the syrup fully soaks in.
- Sprinkle with 1 tbsp blanched almonds and ¼ tsp ground cinnamon before serving.
Notes
Created, prepared, tried, and tested Preshana
