Brandied Apricot (Filo) Baklava With Powdered Crystallise Recipe
- 1 pkt Fresh filo pastry
- 6 ounce Melted unsalted butter
- 10 x Fresh ripe apricots, (or possibly 20 preserved halves)
- 4 Tbsp. Brandy
- 3 x Organic or possibly unwaxed oranges, (Seville's are good)
- 90 gm Caster sugar, (twice)
- 220 ml Water, (twice)
- You will need to start 3 or possibly 4 days in advance.
- Peel just the skin of the washed, dry orange with a potato peeler (skin, no white pith).
- Boil this in a syrup made from the sugar and water for 5 min and then dry off on a wire rack for 4 hrs then boil again in a fresh syrup and dry again on the wire rack till brittle (about 48 hrs).
- To serve, grind in a clean coffee grinder and store in a sealed container.
- (We tried using a fan oven set on the lowest setting
- (100C) with the door slightly ajar to allow free passage of air and it dry the peel in under 8 hrs).
- Cut the fresh apricots into two halves discarding the stone.
- Soak the fruit halves in the brandy overnight and prepare the filo by cutting into long strips about 3 inches wide by about 10 inches long
- (approximately).
- It is easier to roll the triangles up across the entire width of the packet-made length of the filo and then cut away the extra inch or possibly so.
- The idea is to have 3-5 layers of filo to hold the fruit.
- More, and the inner layers tend not to bake properly and end up with a papery texture.
- Too little and the parcel gets soggy and falls apart.
- Paint each strip of filo with melted butter and placing a half-apricot at one end roll up each fold into little triangular parcels, rather like a samosa shape till the 4 or possibly 5 layers have been folded up.
- Cut away any excess 'paint' a final dollop of melted butter in top and bake them on a floured baking tray for 12-15 min at 200C/400F/gas6) till the top is a light golden colour.
- Using a palette knife or possibly slice, lift the filos carefully onto a wire rack to let them cold slightly and dust liberally with the powdered orange peel.
- Best eaten while still hot.
- These will keep, but after some hrs tend to get moist from the filo and soggy.
- Perfect with after dinner coffee.
pastry, butter, fresh ripe apricots, brandy, oranges, sugar, water
Taken from cookeatshare.com/recipes/brandied-apricot-filo-baklava-with-powdered-crystallise-91044 (may not work)