Baklawa 'be'aj'

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Title: Baklawa 'be'aj'
Categories: Desserts
Yield: 40 Servings

1 lb Phyllo dough sheets
3/4 c Unsalted butter; melted
1/2 c Chopped pistachio nuts, opt.

MMMMM------------------------NUT FILLING-----------------------------
2 Egg whites
1/2 c Caster sugar
2 c Coarsely ground walnuts
2 c Coarsely ground almonds
1 ts Rose water

MMMMM------------------------ALTAR SYRUP-----------------------------
2 c Granulated sugar
1 1/2 c Water
1 ts Lemon juice
1 ts Orange flower water
1 ts Rose water

Stack 10 sheets phyllo on a flat surface, keeping remainder
covered with a dry, then a damp tea towel.

Brush top sheet of stack with butter, lift sheet and replace on
stack buttered side down. Brush top with butter, lift top two sheets
and turn over on stack. Repeat until all 10 sheets are buttered,
lifting an extra sheet each time. Top and bottom of finished stack
should remain unbuttered.

With kitchen scissors cut buttered stack of phyllo into
approximately 10 cm (4 inches) squares. Stack and cover. Prepare
remainder of phyllo. Depending on size of phyllo sheets, you may have
fewer than 10 left at the end. Halve sheets if necessary to give 10
layers.

Beat egg whites until stiff and beat sugar in gradually. Fold in
nuts and rose water.

Butter top of phyllo square and place a tablespoonful of nut
mixture in the centre. Gently squeeze into a lily shape, with four
corners of square as petals and filling in centre.

Place in a buttered 25 x 33 cm (10 x 13 inch) baking dish. Repeat
with remaining ingredients, placing finished pastries close together
in dish.

Bake in moderate oven for 30 minutes, reduce to slow and cook for
further 15 minutes.

Meanwhile dissolve sugar in water over heat, add lemon juice and
orange water and bring to the boil. Boil for 15 minutes, stir in
rose water and cool.

Spoon cool thick syrup over hot pastries. Leave until cool and
sprinkle pistachio nuts in centres of pastries if desired.

Note: If you are not used to working with phyllo pastry, then it
is advisable to fill and shape the first lot of buttered squares
before going onto the nest lot. The butter firms fairly quickly and
it could be difficult to shape the pastries if the buttered sheets
are left for a time.

* From: The Complete Middle East Cookbook by Tess Mallos. * ISBN: 1
86302 069 1. * Typed for you by Karen Mintzias

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