Kitchen

Easy chocolate baklava recipe

Best served with a steaming hot coffee.
Nicky Ryan
15

Syrupy, flaky and just the right amount of crunch. Baklava has everything you could ever want in a sweet, but one way to reinvent this classic is to add chocolate.

Chocolate baklava is a great option for those who love the sweet’s signature flaky layers, but who perhaps aren’t as fond of the traditional syrups used to flavour baklava, such as orange blossom or rose water.

Make a batch and cut into diamonds for a dessert that will please a crowd, or make an incredible gift.

Ingredients

Method

1.

Put all nuts and cinnamon in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in chocolate, cocoa and sugar. Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a 28cm x 18cm (top measurement) ceramic dish or metal slice tin with  a little melted butter.

2.

Unroll filo and place dish on top, base downwards. Cut out a stack of filo using base of dish as a guide. Move dish along filo and cut out another stack. 

3.

Lay a sheet of filo on a clean bench and brush with melted butter. While you work, cover remaining filo with a damp tea towel. Top with 8 more sheets of buttered filo and place in dish.

4.

Sprinkle over half the nut mixture. Top with another 6 layers of buttered filo, then sprinkle with remaining nut mixture. Drizzle with 2 tbsps melted butter. Top with another 9 sheets of buttered filo.

5.

Cut baklava into 15 squares or diamonds. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until puffed and golden. 

6.

Meanwhile, in the last 20 minutes of baking, heat water, sugar, honey and juice in a saucepan over a high heat. Stir until sugar dissolves.

7.

Simmer for 12-15 minutes or until syrupy. Remove from heat. Pour hot syrup evenly over baked baklava and allow to cool completely in dish before serving.

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