Baklava

It's been awhile since I added any entries to this blog..and its not so much I have not been baking. But on the contrary, I just have been too busy to keep it updated. I know I should...at least to keep the interest going.
Anyways, today I managed to learn how to make Baklava.
I have often seen these delicacies being sold at various Middle Eastern shops and have smelt the sweet smells that were emitted. As much as I love baking and perusing through cafes and deli and patisseries for all the delectable, mouth watering spread, I never could bring myself to really try any. You see...I love baking, but I do not like eating much sweet stuff.
So knowing how sweet Baklavas come...coz as they say "Eat sweet, speak sweet", I was still rather curious how all the flavours and worked together.
A very nice Greek lady, Alec offered to show me how it's made and so we set off to make this. I must say, if you have all the ingredients at hand, it does not take very long to roll the pastry and bake, and even douse it in syrup.
I must say, this home recipe had all the flavours down to a pat. It was not so sweet and I could still taste the spices and it had a nice crunch of the nuts and flaky pasty when you bite into it.

Rolling the filled pastry around a stick.

Rolled pastry lined up in the tray

Dousing the pastry with hot oil.

Adding sticks of cloves for the finishing touches, before being baked.

Baked Baklava, soaking in syrup.

The whole tray soaking in syrup. Need to let it sit a couple of hours before dishing them out.