Salted Caramel & Pecan Baklava

Ingredients

• 45 g Light brown soft sugar
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 170 g Maple syrup (or honey)
• 235 ml Water
• 45 g Light brown soft sugar
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 150 g Pecans
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg
• 225 g Butter (unsalted)
• 45 g Light brown sugar
• 500 g Filo Pastry ((also known as phyllo pastry))
• 1 tsp Coarse sea salt

Instructions

1. 1

   Start by making the syrup. In a pan on a low heat melt the light brown soft sugar, salt, water and maple syrup together Once the sugar is dissolved, let it boil for 10 minutes while stirring constantly. Pour into a bowl and cool fully in the fridge

2. 2

   Pre-heat your oven to 160C Fan/180C/350F/Gas Mark 4

3. 3

   For the filling place the pecans, light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt into a food processor and pulse them until they look like a coarse crumb. Reserve a small amount of the filling for garnishing the baklava after baking if you like (about 1-2 tbsp)

4. 4

   Melt the butter and light brown soft sugar in a pan on a low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves

5. 5

   In a deep sided 12"x9" baking tray layer up the filo sheets, brushing the butter and brown sugar mixture between each layer. Do 10 sheets of filo, then a layer of the pecan filling, then 10 more filo sheets, another layer of the filling, then a final layer of 10 filo sheets

6. 6

   Slice the baklava in the tin, into the pieces desired, before baking. Bake for 45 minutes until golden

7. 7

   When it is done, immediately pour the cooled syrup all over the baklava, then sprinkle the remaining filling in the centre of each square along with a sprinkle of coarse sea salt. Leave to cool fully

8. 8

   Store in an airtight container in a cool place and eat within 1-2 weeks