Is there such a thing as a ‘banana bread connoisseur’? If there is, I think I’m one of them, as I’ve certainly consumed my share of banana bread, especially during pregnancy!!

This is a seriously good banana bread, adapted by Tana Ramsay’s banana and apple loaf recipe, the only difference being that I prefer pear over apple and enjoy the crunch of walnuts too.

If you’re planning a brunch or afternoon tea for your Christmas celebrations, this would make a lovely addition. Bake the day before and toast before serving with a knob of butter and dusting of icing sugar. Alternatively, you can always save this recipe for another day when you need to use up bananas and pears on the turn.

Be sure to have a gorgeous Christmas and New Year!!

Love, Suzanna

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Recipe

Serves 10-12

Ingredients
1 cup (115 grams) walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
4 medium-sized ripe bananas, mashed
1 pear, peeled and coarsly grated
2 large free-range eggs, beaten
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated brown sugar
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups (250 grams) self raising flour, sifted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
pinch of salt

Icing sugar to serve (optional)

Method
1) Preheat oven to 150°C and toast walnuts on a tray for 5-10 minutes or until fragrant. Once cooled, coarsly chop and set aside.

2) Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease and line a rectangular loaf tin (approx. 12 x 40cm).

3) In a bowl mash bananas with a fork or potato masher, add grated pear and mix to combine.

4) Using an electric hand-held mixer (medium setting), beat the eggs, sugar and butter until pale and creamy (approx. 5-7 minutes).

5) Stir in the mashed bananas and pear and sieve in the flour and other dry ingredients.

6) Once well mixed, tip into the loaf tin and bake for 40-45 minutes.

7) Remove to a wire wrack and cool in the tin for 20-30 minutes. Remove from the tin onto the rack and finish cooling completely before slicing.

8) Serve toasted with a sprinkling of icing and knob of butter.

Tips:
- Replace walnuts with pecans and pear with apple or carrot.
- Freezes well for up to three months.

Here I am, just over 38 weeks pregnant and eagerly awaiting the arrival of our bundle of joy! While we wait for his/her arrival, I thought I’d post a feature recipe from a fellow Macedonian, living right here in Sydney.

This recipe has been passed down to Natalie from her baba, who according to Natalie always makes it with such dedication and ease. What I love most about this recipe is how simple and healthy it is – a welcome change from the sugary cakes I usually indulge in. I also love the intense orange colour of the pumpkin.

I baked my Tikvarnik in a regular round cake tin, however, you can bake yours in a rectancular tin and cut into square or diamond slices.
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Recipe

Makes 12-16 pieces

Ingredients
1 butternut pumpkin, roughly cut into 8-10 pieces
2 eggs, lightly beaten
5 tablespoons (100g) castor sugar
5 tablespoons (70g) plain flour
5 tablespoons (100ml) milk
5 tablespoons (100ml) vegetable oil (e.g. canola or sunflower)

Method
1) In a medium pot place pumpkin and enough cold water to cover, cover with lid and bring to the boil. Reduce to simmer and cook until flesh is soft (30-40 minutes).

2) Remove pumpkin from water and allow to cool (5-10 minutes). Scoop out flesh, discarding skin and place in colander, allowing excess liquid to strain. Allow to cool completely.

3) Meanwhile preheat oven to 200°C and grease a 22-32cm rectangular tin with vegetable oil and line the base with baking paper or dust with flour.

4) Once cooled place pumpkin in a large mixing bowl and use the back of a fork to mush. Pour over eggs, add sugar, flour, milk, oil and mix until combined well.

5) Bake for 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned and firm to touch.

6) Allow to cool, slice and serve as meze or dessert.

Tips:
- Allow to cool completely before slicing and removing from baking tray.
- Best served cold or at room temperature.

The lead up to Easter is a time of fasting, reflection and sacrifice, but come Easter Sunday, the celebration and feast is on!

As part of my families Easter tradition, in the early hours of Sunday morning, following midnight mass, we devour Baba Tala’s incredible kozinjak.

Kozinjak is a heavenly sweet bread that everyone adores, so much so that my cousin has renamed it kozin-’yum’! I like to think of kozinjak as Macedonia’s version of a hot cross buns, but oh so much better!

Baba Cveta, my grandfathers sister taught Baba Tala how to make kozinjak as a young bride. The recipe has been in the family for over 60 years and I’m extremely excited to be able to pass it on for others to enjoy.

Making kozinjak

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Recipe

Serves 16

Ingredients
Sponge (yeast mix)
3/4 cup (185ml) full cream milk
3 tablespoons (40g) dry yeast (or 6 x 7g satchels)
1 teaspoon (12g) caster sugar
1 tablespoon (6g) plain flour

Dough
6 large organic or free-range eggs, room temperature
1 1/3 cup (250g) caster sugar
2/3 cup (150ml) vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
1 1/4 cup (310ml) full cream milk, room temperature
1 tablespoon (8g) vanillin sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
10 cups (1kg) white bread flour (‘00’), sifted, plus extra for dusting
3 drops yellow food colouring (optional)

250g raisins
1 organic or free-range egg, lightly whisked for brushing
Sesame seeds for sprinkling

Method
1) Gently heat milk to luke warm (blood temperature). In a small bowl combine milk, dry yeast, sugar, flour and mix until smooth (1-2 minutes). Allow to rest until double in size (7-10 minutes).

2) In a large bowl or pot combine eggs, sugar, oil, milk and vanillin sugar. Lightly whisk until well combined (3 minutes). Add lemon zest, plain flour and sponge (yeast mix). Use one hand to scrunch and knead the dough, while the other turns the bowl/pot. Continue kneading until the dough starts to feel smooth and moves as one (7-10 minutes). Dust the top with flour and make a cross using the edge of your hand (a tradition of baba’s to reminder us that bread is from God) and cover with a tea towel or lid. Allow to rest in a warm place until double in size (approx 60 minutes, depending on the weather).
Note: The dough should be quite wet, if it is too too dry add an extra tablespoon or two of milk.

3) Once the dough has risen knead for a further 3-5 minutes in the same bowl or pot, cover and allow to prove in a warm spot again (approx 30 minutes).

4) Oil a large round tin (40cm diameter) and line with baking paper.

5) Once risen, add raisins and knead for a further 5-7 minutes, scrunching and turning the bowl/pot until the raisins are evenly mixed through. Oil a large clean bench or table and turn out dough onto oiled surface. Divide into 3 equal portions, use your hands to roll and shape into long sausages (60cm in length). Gather at the top and gently fold over each sausage into a plait. Stretch out any sections that are thicker, so that the plait is the same thickness. Cut off the two end sections (these will be used for the centre). Shape the plait into a round ring and carefully place in baking tin. Combine the two cut off ends and roll into a sausage, then wrap into a knot and place into centre of the ring. Loosely cover with a clean tea towel and allow to stand in a warm spot for dough to relax (approx. 30 minutes).

6) Preheat oven to 200ºc.

7) Once the dough has relaxed, brush with lightly beaten egg (you may not need it all) and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

8) Bake for 10 minutes at 200ºc, or until the top starts to brown. Cover loosely with a sheet of foil and bake for a further 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 150ºc, bake for another 10-15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 100ºc, remove foil and bake for a final 15-20 minutes or until cooked through, test with skewer (approx. 50-60 minutes in total).

9) Remove kozinjak from tin and eat immediately or wrap in a clean tablecloth (or a couple of tea towels) to keep warm.

10) Serve while warm or at room temperature.

Tips:
- Eggs and milk must be at room temperature, if cold gently heat over a very low heat to blood temperature.
- If it’s a cold day, prove the dough in very low oven (100°C), keeping the oven door open.
- Freeze leftover kozinjak for up to 2 months and reheat in the microwave.
- For a smaller kozinjak half this recipe, use a smaller round tin and reduce the baking times slightly.
- If your eggs are not yellow enough in colour add 3-4 drops of food colouring.

As always, December is a crazy time of year. Not only have I been busy getting ready for Christmas, but my day job as a designer has also been keeping me madly busy, leaving me little time to spend in the kitchen and post this month.

So here we are, Christmas Eve and the last recipe of the year, and what better way to end the year, than with delicious, melt in your mouth almond shortbread.

This recipe is an old family favourite from my mother-in-laws village Perovo. It calls for only five ingredients, and as it’s relatively easy, it’s a great one for the kids to help out with, especially if you decide to make some last minute Christmas gifts. In fact, a couple of biscuits placed in clean glass jars, dressed up with pretty fabric and twine would make a perfect gift!

P.S. Merry Christmas and thanks for following this year, God bless and see you in 2011! Suzanna xx

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Making almond shortbread

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Recipe

Makes about 50

Ingredients
200g almond flakes (or store bought pre-ground almond meal)
375g unsalted butter, softened (room temperature)
600g plain flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
Icing sugar, sifted (for dusting)

Method
1) Preheat oven to 150°C and line a large tray with baking paper. Evenly spread out almond flakes and bake for 5-10 minutes, or until lightly golden and fragrant. Allow to cool slightly, then pulse in a food processor until ground (not too fine, otherwise it will turn to almond paste).
Note: If you don’t have a food processor, use tore bought almond meal.

2) Increase oven temperature to 180°C and line 2 large trays with baking paper.

3) In a large bowl add butter and flour. Use your hands or a wooden spoon to combine until smooth (5 minutes). Add vanilla essence, followed by almond meal. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until well combined and smooth, but not too stiff or dry (3-5 minutes).

4) Take small tablespoons of the mixture and hand roll into crescent shapes and circles (approximately 1cm thick). Place on prepared baking trays, leaving a small gap between each biscuit. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly golden but not browned (turning and swapping the trays halfway through baking). Remove from oven and set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly.
Note: If you prefer use a rolling pin to roll out dough and a circle cutter to make the crescent shapes. I personally prefer hand shaping as the dough is softer and the look is more rustic.

5) Place icing sugar in a bowl and cover the warm biscuits (one at time), with the icing sugar, coat generously. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.

6) Store in an air tight container for up to one week.

Tips:
- Cover excess dough in plastic and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To use, simply remove from fridge and bring back to room temperature, then follow steps 2, 4, 5 and 6.
- Give as Christmas gifts, place a couple of shortbread in a glass jar and wrap with brown paper or fabric and twine.

Kadaif or Kataifi is a curious shredded pastry, similar to a fine vermicelli noodle. Originating in the Middle East, kadaif is used to make numerous desserts and occasionally savory dishes too.

Often made with similar ingredients to baklava, that is, nuts, sesame seeds, filo pastry and sugar syrup, this ‘like baklava but not-baklava’, as a friend likes to call it, is delicious and relatively easy to make.

My mums recipe for kadaif is vegan and requires little fat. Once baked, the sweets need to be drenched in the sugar syrup and left overnight, otherwise the filling will be too dry. I recently made the mistake of not pouring enough syrup over, sadly the end result was too dry, and to my embarrassment I delivered a tray for a party…eeek!

Allowing the kadaif to stand overnight will ensure the shredded pastry absorbs all the liquid and plumps up, making a deliciously moist and moreish dessert.

Making kadaif

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Recipe

Serves 40

Ingredients
375g packet filo pastry sheets, thawed at room temperature for 2 hours
375g packet Kataifi shredded pastry, thawed at room temperature for 2 hours
2 tablespoons (20g) sesame seeds, lightly toasted
1 cup (250ml) vegetable oil
1.5 cup (180g) walnuts, crushed

Sugar syrup
5 cups (1.1kg) caster sugar
7 cups (1.75L) water
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar (or vanilla bean paste)
Lemon wedge, seeds removed
3 tablespoons (65ml) honey

Method
1) To toast sesame seeds, preheat oven to 150°C, place sesame seeds on a tray and toast for 5-10 minutes or until lightly golden and fragrant, allow to cool.

2) Preheat oven to 180°C and brush a large rectangular baking tray (or two smaller trays) with oil. If necessary cut filo sheet length to fit into tray snugly and cover with a damp tea towel to prevent from drying out.

3) Lay 2 sheets of filo on clean work surface with the longest edge facing you (cover remaining filo with tea towel). Working quickly, scatter over 1/10 of kataifi, sprinkle 1/10 of the walnuts and drizzle with oil. Gently roll lengthwise into a long cylinder, being careful not to squeeze too tightly, if necessary brush the exposed pastry edge with extra oil to seal, then place in baking tray with the bottom down, brush top with oil. Repeat with remaining filo and filling, to finish brush top with oil.

4) Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden, then turn oven down to 160°C and bake for further 30 minutes.

5) Meanwhile, for syrup, combine sugar, water and vanilla sugar (or vanilla bean paste) in large saucepan and bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until syrup thickens. Take off heat, add lemon wedge and stir in honey. Allow to cool to lukewarm (blood temperature).

6) Cool kadaif slightly (2-3 minutes), remove lemon wedge from syrup and evenly pour over 3/4 of the liquid. Allow to stand for 30 minutes, then turn over each roll, if still dry pour over extra syrup and refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove from fridge and turn each roll over again, checking to see if the syrup has soaked through, if not add remaining syrup and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight). Use a sharp knife to cut into equal lengths, approximately 7cm long.

7) Serve at room temperature with an espresso or Turkish coffee.

Tips:
- Kataifi shredded pastry can be found in the refrigerated section of select supermarkets and delis.
- Kadaif will keep refrigerated in it’s tray for up to 2 weeks, or frozen in plastic containers for for up to 3 months.
- Freeze fresh walnut halves in an airtight bag for up to 3 months.

I love chocolate éclairs, be it with the traditional custard filing, ice cream or my families version with whipped cream. I find it quite easy to substitute éclairs for any meal, and just between you and me, that meal is often breakfast.

According to Wikipedia the éclair most likely originated in France during the nineteenth century, allegedly created by Antonin Carême, the famous French chef (and genius in my mind).

For me, chocolate éclairs say party-time, partly because I only ever indulge at celebrations, but also because they are a celebration as you bite through the delicious layers of heavenly light pastry, luscious cream and chocolate.

Despite looking complex, making decadent chocolate éclairs is easier than it first appears. The choux pastry is quick and uncomplicated, much easier than making other pastries (i.e. short crust pastry). I’d love you to give his recipe a try, you won’t be disappointed, neither will your family and friends!

It’s important to note that the chocolate topping recipe here has been adapted from Gourmet Traveller’s chocolate éclair recipe.

Making chocolate éclairs
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Recipe

Makes 30 mini éclairs

Ingredients
Choux Pastry
1 cup (250ml) water
1/2 cup (125g) unsalted butter, chopped
1 cup (150g) plain flour, sifted
Pinch of sea salt
4 free-range or organic eggs, room temperature

Cream filling
1 1/4 cups (300ml) thickened cream
2-3 tablespoons caster or icing sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (optional)

Chocolate topping
1/4 cup (60ml) thickened cream
200g dark chocolate (40% cocoa solids), coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Method
1) Preheat oven to 190°C and line 2-3 trays with baking paper. Bring water and butter to the boil (over medium-high heat), ensuring butter is melted. Add all the flour and salt at once, beat vigorously with a wooden spoon to incorporate and continue beating until mixture leaves the sides of the pan (about 1 minute). Remove from heat and set aside for 5-10 minutes to cool.

2) Add eggs, one at a time, beating vigorously to incorporate after each addition until well combined.

3) Spoon choux pastry into pipping bag fitted with 2cm plain nozzle. Pipe into 6cm lengths (12cm for larger éclairs) and 4cm apart. Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 150°C and bake for a further 15 minutes. Remove from oven and prick pastries with a skewer or tip of a small knife and bake for further 5 minutes. Transfer the éclairs to a wire rack to cool at room temperature, then halve lengthways using a bread knife and set aside.
Note: If you don’t have a piping bag use two spoons to form rustic pastry mounds.

4) Meanwhile whisk cream, icing sugar and vanilla bean paste (if using) until soft peaks form (3-5 minutes), refrigerate until required.

5) For chocolate topping, combine cream and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until chocolate melts and mixture combines. Stir in vegetable oil and keep warm.

6) Remove cream from fridge and spoon into piping bag filled with 2cm nozzle and pipe into eclair halves, then dip pastry top into chocolate and place over cream. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve chilled.

Tips:
- The pastry can be used straight away or left to rest for up to 40 minutes, covered with plastic wrap.
- Do not open the oven during cooking or the pastry will collapse.
- Éclairs will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Cooked choux pastry (not filled) stores well in the freezer for up to 3 weeks.

I have no recollection as to why or how my family came to call this delightful sweet treat ‘Queen Cake’. Mum claims that I have been calling it this since I was six or so….come to think of it, I do recall including it in my primary school’s annual recipe book and calling it ‘Queen Cake’…perhaps it’s because I thought it tasted so good that even the Queen would love it!

The irony of this is that my favourite cake in the entire world, may also qualify as the easiest cake to make in the world! Seriously, this cake is good and so easy that even my husband could make it!

Serve it warm with the optional dusting of icing sugar, or allow it to cool and spread with cocoa flavoured whipped cream and a generous scattering of chopped walnuts.

Making the cake

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Recipe

Serves 10-12

Ingredients
3 cups (375g) self-raising flour, sifted
1 cup (220g) caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
3 organic or free-range eggs, room temperature
1 cup (250ml) full cream milk, room temperature
1 cup (250ml) vegetable oil (e.g. canola or sunflower)
Zest of 1 lemon
2-3 teaspoons cocoa
1/2 cup (60g) chopped walnuts

Method
1) Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 22-32cm rectangular tin with vegetable oil and line the base with baking paper.

2) In a large mixing bowl combine flour, caster and vanilla sugar, make a well in th centre and add eggs, milk, vegetable oil and lemon zest. Use a fork to mix until just combined.

3) Pour 3/4 of the mixture into the prepared cake tin. With remaining batter add cocoa and mix until well combined, stir in walnuts and spoon over plain batter. Use a fork to swirl through the cocoa batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden on top and cooked through.
Note: Check if the cake is ready by inserting a skewer, leave it for 5 seconds and if it comes out clean the cake is cooked, if it’s slightly sticky cook for a further 5 minutes and check again.

4) Allow to cool slightly then cut into diagonals. Serve while warm or at room temperature with a dusting of icing sugar or a dollop of cocoa flavoured whipped cream.

Tip: Keep in fridge for up to 5 days.

The word strudel no doubt conjures up thoughts of stewed apples, flaky pastry and dusted icing sugar. Unlike the Austrian kind, this Bosnian ‘Poppy Seed Strudel’ is more like a sweet bread than an apple strudel, but delicious nonetheless.

The filling is particularly noteworthy, a ground poppy seed paste. I can hear you thinking, poppy seeds…dessert??? Admittedly, it took my taste buds a little getting used to, but after a few bites I couldn’t get enough of the curious but tasty filling.

Apart from poppy seeds, there are other Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian strudel fillings, such as walnuts, apples and cherries. I’ll hopefully have the walnut recipe posted for you all to enjoy in the next few months.

Making strudel

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Recipe

Serves 16

Ingredients
Dough
1 x 7g sachet dry yeast
350ml (1 1/3 cup) milk, warm
70g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
1 free-range or organic egg and 1 egg yolk, room temperature
70g butter, melted
400g (4 cups) plain flour, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
Zest of 1 lemon (leave a pinch of zest for the filling)

Filling
250g poppy seeds, finely ground (to grind poppy seeds use a herb or coffee grinder)
20g (1/4 cup) raisins, roughly chopped
60g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
125ml (1/2 cup) milk, hot
70g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

Egg wash
1 free-range or organic egg
1 tablespoon milk
Pinch of sea salt

Method
1) In a small bowl dissolve yeast in 5 tablespoons of warm milk. Allow to rise and double in size (7-10 minutes).

2) While yeast is fermenting whisk sugar, egg and egg yolk until just combined. Add melted butter and lightly whisk.

3) In a large bowl add sifted flour, vanilla sugar, 3/4 of lemon zest and make a well in the centre. Add sugar and egg mix, yeast and remaining warm milk. Use your fingers or a fork to slowly incorporate the wet and dry ingredients. Once the dough starts to come together knead in the bowl or on a lightly floured surface for 5-8 minutes, or until the dough feels smooth but still a little sticky. Place dough in bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, allow to rest in a warm spot (45 minutes – 1 hour).

4) While dough is proving prepare filling. In a medium bowl combine ground poppy seeds, raisins, caster and vanilla sugar, milk, butter and remaining lemon zest. The filling should be smooth and spreadable, if it’s too dry add a little extra hot milk.

5) Grease a rectangular loaf tin (approx. 12 x 40cm).

6) Lightly whisk egg, milk and salt in small bowl.

7) Knock air out of dough then roll out on lightly floured surface to 1cm thick (approx. 50cm wide and 60cm long). Evenly spread the poppy seed filling over the dough, leaving a 2cm boarder. Fold the short edges and gently roll into a log, brush the exposed edge with egg wash to seal. Place strudel in baking tin, cover with damp tea towel and allow to prove for further 30-45 minutes.

8) Preheat the oven to 180°C.

9) After 45 minutes brush strudel with egg wash and bake in centre of the oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden and cooked through. If strudel browns too quickly loosely cover with sheet of foil to avoid burning.

10) Allow to cool for 10 minutes in tin before turning out. Slice into 2cm thick pieces and serve while warm or at room temperature.

Tip:
The strudel will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge if wrapped well or 4-6 weeks in the freezer.

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Recipe

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
400g raw walnut halves
4-6 cups water
6 tablespoons pomegranate paste or molasses (available in Middle Eastern grocery stores)
1  onion, coarsely grated
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
500-700g chicken pieces (4-6 pieces preferably with bones and skin off)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
3-4 saffron threads
2 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)
1/2 teaspoon golpar (optional, available in Middle Eastern grocery stores)

Directions
1) Using a mortar and pestle or food processor grind walnuts finely until sticky, but do not over-process.

2) In a large saucepan or casserole add the walnuts, 4 cups of water, pomegranate and stir until well combined.

3) Add onion, pepper, salt, turmeric and stir. Place the saucepan or casserole over medium heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stir frequently to avoid burning. Once the sauce has darkened in colour (a result of the oil released from the walnuts) add chicken pieces and vegetable oil, stir to coat. Allow to simmer and cook gently for 1.5 hours, adding remaining water as necessary and gently stirring to prevent scorching.

4) Add tomato paste, saffron, lemon juice, golpar and simmer for a further 30 minutes.
Note: If you prefer no bones take out chicken pieces from stew before adding other ingredients and remove skin and bones, shred the meat and return to stew.

5) Adjust seasoning if necessary, add more salt or lemon depending on your taste. If you prefer it sweet add a pinch of sugar. The end result will be a thick sauce, rich brown in colour.  Serve with plain or saffron basmati rice.

Tips:
- In the north of Iran this recipe is sour, other regions prefer a sweet and sour flavour, the taste will depend on the type of pomegranate paste.
- Although not traditional I think this recipe would work with a scattering of fresh pomegranate.

Urania, my childhood neighbour made the best baklava, so much so that my sister and I pressured our mum into mastering her recipe. She was very particular about using only the freshest of ingredients and about the process. The walnuts had to be crushed with a glass bottle rather than chopped as she believed the flavour was better, she also insisted that stale homemade bread be used rather than processed white bread.

I’m not exactly sure which part of Greece Urania was from as she is no longer with us, all I know is that she was from a village near Athens. What’s obvious about this recipe, is that it’s a genuine village recipe as it calls for stale breadcrumbs, probably because it was cheaper than adding extra nuts. The breadcrumbs are genius, as they help to absorb the syrup, making this baklava the perfect balance of flaky pastry, crunchy nuts and sugary heaven.

Making baklava
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Recipe

Makes 45

Ingredients
2 tablespoons (20g) sesame seeds
500g walnuts
2 slices day old white bread, crusts removed use ciabatta or similar)
1/3 cup (70g) caster sugar
3-6 tablespoons (25-50g) ground cinnamon
250g unsalted butter, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil (e.g. canola or sunflower)
500g filo pastry sheets, thawed at room temperature for 2 hours
(this is approx. 1.5 x 375g packets)

Syrup
3 cups (660g) caster sugar
2 cups (500ml) water
Lemon wedge
3 tablespoons (65ml) honey

Method
1) Preheat oven to 150°C and toast sesame seeds on a tray for 5-10 minutes or until lightly golden and fragrant, cool.

2) Crush walnuts using a bottle or rolling pin (you can also finely chop).

3) Crumb stale bread in a food processor or by rubbing between hands.

4) Increase oven temperature to 180°C.

5) In a bowl combine sesame seeds, walnuts, bread crumbs, caster sugar and cinnamon, mix well and set aside.
Note: Depending on personal taste, you may prefer to add only 3-4 tablespoons of cinnamon.

6) Heat butter and oil in a saucepan over a low heat until butter is melted, set aside and keep warm.

7) Brush a large rectangular baking tray (or two smaller trays) with butter and oil mix. If necessary cut filo sheet length to fit into tray snugly and cover with a damp tea towel to prevent from drying out.

8) Lay a sheet of filo on clean work surface with the longest edge facing you. Working quickly, brush all over with butter and oil mix, top with another sheet of filo and brush again, repeat 2 more times (you should have 4 sheets). Cover remaining filo with a tea towel. Scatter evenly with a 2 handfuls of the nut mixture then roll lengthwise into a long cylinder, if necessary brush the exposed pastry edge with extra butter/oil to seal, then place in baking tray. Repeat with remaining filo and nut mix and brush top with butter/oil.

9) Refrigerate until firm (15 minutes), then cut on a diagonal into 5cm diamonds with a sharp knife. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until lightly golden. Cover loosely with foil partway through cooking if top browns too quickly.

10) Meanwhile, for syrup, combine sugar and water in saucepan and bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until syrup thickens. Take off heat, add lemon wedge and stir in honey. Allow to cool to lukewarm (blood temperature).

11) Cool baklava slightly (2-3 minutes), remove lemon wedge from syrup and evenly pour over. Allow to stand for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight) before refrigerating.

12) Serve at room temperature with an espresso or Turkish coffee.

Tips:
- Baklava will keep refrigerated in it’s tray for up to 2 weeks.
- Baklava also freezes well for up to 3 months.
- Freeze fresh walnuts in an airtight bag for up to 3 months.