Lemon Pistachio Baklava Recipes

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse the pistachios until coarsely ground (or you can chop them by hand until very finely chopped). Don't overprocess the nuts. You want to maintain some texture.
• Clarify the butter by melting it over low heat, then letting it cook until the foam rises to the top and the milk solids fall to the bottom of the pan. This will take about 5 to 15 minutes depending upon how high your heat is, but don't rush it or the butter could burn.
• Skim foam off the top of the melted butter. Line a fine-mesh sieve with a piece of cheesecloth, place it over a bowl and pour the melted butter through.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees and brush the inside of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with a little of the clarified butter.
• Prepare the phyllo dough by trimming the stack of it with scissors to fit the bottom of your baking dish. Packages of phyllo come in different sizes; some won't need any trimming, some may need an inch or two cut off a side, and some may need to be cut in half crosswise. Cover phyllo layers with a lightly damp kitchen towel, and keep covered.
• Place 1 piece of phyllo on the bottom of the baking pan; brush lightly with clarified butter. Layer phyllo sheets on top, brushing each sheet with butter as you go, until half the phyllo is used.
• Spread pistachios on phyllo in an even layer, then layer with remaining phyllo, brushing each sheet with butter as you go (rewarm butter if necessary).
• Cut the pastry into 36 pieces, using clean up-and-down strokes and rotating the pan if necessary. Make sure to cut all the way through to bottom of pan. Pour any remaining butter evenly over pan.
• Bake baklava until the top is golden brown, and the lower phyllo layers beneath the pistachios are thoroughly baked through. To test this, use a knife to lift up a corner of one of the pastry rectangles from the center of the pan so you can peek at the bottom layers. Start checking after 40 minutes, but it could take an hour or even 1 hour 10 minutes. If the top starts to get too brown before the pastry is cooked through, lay a piece of foil over the top.
• Meanwhile, prepare sugar syrup: In a medium pot, combine sugar with 1 2/3 cups/400 milliliters water. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 10 minutes, until slightly thickened. Stir in lemon juice.
• When the baklava is baked through, reheat the syrup until it comes to a simmer. Remove pan from oven and place in the sink or on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips of syrup. Slowly pour hot sugar syrup over the pastry; it will bubble up and some may overflow. When the syrup stops bubbling, move pan to wire rack to cool completely. Serve at room temperature.

Steps:

• Mix the ground almonds and chopped pistachios in a bowl, reserving 3 tbsp of the pistachios to garnish. Stir in the finely grated lemon zest, the 3 tbsp of sugar and 5 tbsp of the melted butter. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Brush the inside of a roasting or baking tin (30 x 20cm) with the butter.
• Whatever size of filo sheets you have, cut them to fit the tin. Lay one sheet of filo in it, butter it, and keep going until you have 6 sheets of filo. Spoon the nut mixture on top and press down with the back of a spoon, like making a biscuit base, then put 8 filo sheets on the top, again buttering each one. Using a sharp knife, cut a diamond trellis on top, then bake in the oven for 1 hr until golden brown.
• Make the syrup by putting the sugar, lemon juice and strips of zest into a saucepan with 250ml water. Bring to a boil, stirring to help the sugar dissolve, then turn the heat down a little and simmer for 10 mins. The mixture will look quite syrupy. Remove the lemon zest and add the rosewater to taste.
• While the baklava and the syrup are still warm, pour the syrup carefully over the pastry. Return the baklava to the oven for 5 more mins.
• Sprinkle the remaining pistachios over the baklava, then leave to cool overnight - so that the baklava can absorb all the syrup. If you're making this for a special occasion, it's nice to scatter over some torn rose petals (they have to be small pieces) just before serving.

Steps:

• Combine all syrup ingredients in medium saucepan.
• Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Reduce heat to medium or medium-low; gently boil 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.
• Cool.
• (Syrup will thicken as it cools.) Place half of the pistachios in food processor; process until finely chopped.
• Repeat with remaining pistachios.
• In medium bowl, combine all filling ingredients.
• Heat butter in microwave-safe measuring cup in microwave on high 40 to 60 seconds or until melted; skim and discard foam off top.
• Pour clear butter into small cup; discard remaining milky substance at bottom.
• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Butter 13x9-inch baking pan.
• Unroll phyllo onto cutting board; cut to 13x9 inches.
• Discard excess phyllo, or reserve for another use.
• Cover phyllo with large dry towel.
• Lay 1 phyllo sheet in bottom of pan; brush with butter.
• Repeat, using 12 phyllo sheets.
• Evenly sprinkle filling over phyllo.
• Top with remaining 12 phyllo sheets, brushing each layer with butter.
• Cut baklava crosswise into 1 1/2-inch strips, cutting all the way to bottom.
• Cut diagonally to create diamond shapes, or cut into squares.
• Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until slightly puffed and light golden brown.
• Place on wire rack; immediately pour cooled syrup over baklava.
• Cool completely.
• TIP*Look for shelled pistachios that are not roasted and salted; they will have a brighter green color.