Baklava with Spiced Nuts

Method

1. Make the syrup first.
   Put the sugar and water into a large saucepan. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. If you rush this and crank the heat early, the sugar can crystallise later. Once dissolved, bring to a boil, then lower to a steady simmer for 15 minutes. Add a few drops of lemon juice and simmer 5 minutes more. The syrup should be slightly thickened but still pourable. Take off the heat and let it cool fully. Hot syrup on hot baklava turns it soggy.
2. Melt and clarify the butter.
   Melt the butter slowly over low heat. Don’t let it bubble aggressively. Skim off the white froth that rises – that’s milk solids, and leaving them in can cause uneven browning and burning. Set aside warm, not hot.
3. Prepare the nut filling.
   Crush or blitz the walnuts, pecans, and almonds. You’re aiming for mostly fine with some texture, not nut dust. Stir in cinnamon and cardamom. If it looks like sand, you’ve gone too far – add a small handful of chopped nuts back in to fix it.
4. Mix the ricotta layer.
   In a bowl, mix ricotta, lemon zest, orange zest, and vanilla. The mixture should be thick and spreadable. If it’s loose or watery, drain the ricotta in a sieve for 20 minutes. Skip this and your filo will tear and leak.
5. Set up your workspace.
   Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Butter a large baking tray (about 35 × 47cm). Keep the filo covered with a damp tea towel at all times. Exposed filo dries and cracks in minutes.
6. Assemble the rolls.
   Lay one sheet of filo with a short end facing you. Sprinkle about 30g of nut mixture evenly over the sheet. Spoon 1 tablespoon of ricotta along the edge closest to you. Fold that edge over the filling, place a thin skewer along the fold, and roll tightly. If it’s loose, it won’t hold syrup properly.
7. Scrunch and shape.
   Gently compress the rolled filo along the skewer like an accordion. Slide it off onto the tray. It should look rippled, not crushed. Repeat until you have about 12 rolls.
8. Cut and butter.
   Cut each roll into 4 large or 8 mini pieces. Brush generously with the remaining butter, getting into the folds. Dry spots = pale, tough pastry.
9. Bake.
   Bake for 20–25 minutes until evenly golden. Rotate the tray halfway. Pale baklava is undercooked and will go soft once syrup hits.
10. Syrup soak.
    While the baklava is still hot, ladle over 5–6 ladles of the cooled syrup. You should hear loud sizzling. If you don’t, either the baklava isn’t hot or the syrup isn’t cool – both are problems.
11. Finish with chocolate.
    Melt the dark chocolate gently (microwave in short bursts or over simmering water). Drizzle over cooled baklava, then sprinkle with ground pistachios. Don’t do this while warm or the chocolate will disappear into the pastry.