Brandied Apricot Filo Baklava With Powdered Crystallise Recipe - pastry

Method

• 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.