Baklava cookies

If cookies were a currency, these would be gold. These baklava-inspired pucks are weighty with nuts (walnuts, pistachios and almonds), all bound up with honey and butter. Trade your cookies wisely. But don't stockpile them - eat within 1-2 days. It's important to cool the honey syrup before pouring over the straight-out-of-the oven cookies to avoid a soggy mess.

Credit: China Squirrel

• makes

  48

• prep

  35 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 185 ml (¾ cup) honey
• 175 g (¾ cups) caster sugar
• 125 ml (½ cup) water
• 1 tsp grated lemon rind
• 100 g blanched almonds
• 100 g walnut pieces
• 100 g pistachio nuts
• 115 g (½ cup) caster sugar, extra
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 12 sheets filo pastry
• 1 can light olive oil spray

Instructions

To make honey syrup, place honey, sugar, water and lemon rind into a small saucepan. Stir over a medium-high heat until mixture boils. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Place almonds, walnuts and pistachios into a food processor, process until fine. Transfer to a bowl, stir in extra sugar and cinnamon.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Line the base of 2 baking tins/roasting trays with sides with baking paper.

Place one sheet of filo pastry onto a work area (keep remaining filo covered with a damp towel to prevent drying out). Evenly spray the filo sheet with oil spray, place another filo sheet on top and spray with oil spray. Spread about ⅓ cup nut mixture evenly over pastry. Place a third sheet of filo on top over nuts and spray with oil spray. Again, spread with about ⅓ cup nut mixture. Spray over the nuts with oil spray.

Starting at the narrowest end, roll pastry and nuts up tightly like a log. Use a sharp knife to diagonally slice into 2 cm pieces. Place pieces, pastry seam-side down onto the lined baking trays.

Bake for 8 minutes, remove from oven and carefully turn each piece, cut-side down, onto baking tray. Return to oven and cook a further 12 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from oven.

Immediately pour the cooled honey syrup over cookies and allow to cool at room temperature, turning in syrup after 30 minutes. Best eaten within 1-2 days.

Photography, styling and food preparation by China Squirrel.

This recipe is from Cookie Scout, our weekend cookie project. Bake with us. 

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.