Apricot Baklava

Total Time: 2 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 25
• 1 cup raisins (light or dark)
• 1/4 cup apricot flavored wine
• 1 1/2 cups dried apricots, pressed down
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon wine (from raisins)
• 1 cup cashews (chopped roughly)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 20 filo pastry (buy frozen and thaw before using)
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup water, reserved from apricots soak or 1/4 cup canned apricot nectar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon wine, from raisins soak

Recipe

• 1 warm 3/4 cup wine in saucepan and remove from heat
• 2 add raisins and soak for 2 - 4 hours
• 3 put apricots in saucepan and cover with water
• 4 bring to boil and simmer for 40-45 minutes till very tender
• 5 drain and reserve liquid if any left
• 6 process apricots in food processor or mash till smooth
• 7 put in large bowl
• 8 add drained raisins, reserving the wine
• 9 mix in sugar, cinnamon, 1/2 tsp wine (from the raisins), vanilla, brown sugar
• 10 allow to cool
• 11 mix in cashews
• 12 butter a 13x9x2 baking pan
• 13 open filo sheets and cut to size of pan
• 14 process one at a time keeping the rest covered
• 15 brush butter on top of one sheet and place in pan
• 16 repeat with 10 sheets one at a time and layer them in pan
• 17 cover last sheet with apricot mixture
• 18 cover with the next 10 filo sheets buttering each one as before
• 19 slice through the top layers diagonally to create diamonds
• 20 bake at 350 for 40 - 45 minutes till brown on top
• 21 put on rack to cool before adding syrup
• 22 syrup
• 23 in saucepan mix honey, water, nectar (reserved from apricots), sugar, vanilla and wine (from the raisins)
• 24 bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes
• 25 allow to cool completely
• 26 drizzle on baklava
• 27 cover and cool for several hours
• 28 best if cooled overnight