Negat made this lovely sweet and nutty pastry dessert for our Peace Cafe in November. It tastes really special, but can be made using simple ingredients you can find in most supermarkets.

Ingredients:
100g cashew nuts
100g unsalted, shelled pistachio nuts
2 tsp ground cinnamon
200g butter, melted
12 sheets of filo pastry
300g caster sugar
2 tsp lime juice

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C.
1. Place the sugar and lime juice in a medium saucepan with 300ml of water and bring to a gentle simmer. Let it bubble away, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced by a third, leave to cool. (The syrup must be cool when it is poured over the pastry otherwise the pastry will go soggy.)
2. Mix all the nuts in a food processor until coarse, then tip into a bowl and stir through with cinnamon. 3. Gently unfold the filo pastry and cover with a damp tea towel to stop it cracking.
4. Layer 1 sheet of pastry in an oven dish and brush with melted butter.
5. Layer another sheet on top of the first, brush with butter and evenly sprinkle some of the nut mixture.
6. Repeat the layers until the pastry is finished, then generously butter the top.
7. Cut the pastry into portion-sized squares with a sharp knife, ensuring the blade goes right to the bottom.
Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
Remove the baklava from the oven and pour half of the cooled syrup over the top.
Leave to cool for 40-60 minutes.
Your Baklava can stay fresh for up to 2/3 weeks.

Image Credit: Ruby Walker