Fig, Pistachio and Rose Baklava

To make the nut filling, in a food processor, combine the walnuts, pistachios, sugar, ground cinnamon and orange zest and pulse until finely chopped. Set aside.

Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C). Brush a 10-inch (25-cm) nonstick fry pan with a little of the melted butter.

Place a stack of 6 phyllo dough sheets on a work surface. Cover the remaining sheets with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Using the bottom of the fry pan or a 10-inch (25-cm) plate as a guide, trace a circle with the tip of a knife or scissors. Then cut out six 10-inch (25-cm) rounds. Repeat with the remaining phyllo, 6 stacked sheets at a time, to create a total of 36 rounds. Cover the phyllo you’re not currently using loosely with plastic wrap.

To assemble the baklava, place 1 phyllo round on the bottom of the fry pan and brush with butter. Top with another phyllo round and brush with butter. Repeat with 4 more phyllo rounds, brushing butter between each one. Then spread the top phyllo round with a heaping 2 Tbs. of the fig jam and sprinkle with one-fifth of the nut mixture.

Continue the layering process with 6 more phyllo sheets: layer them one at a time and brush butter between each layer, then top the sixth layer with the fig jam and nut mixture. Repeat to create a total of 6 layers, then brush the top phyllo round with butter.

Using the tip of a very sharp knife, score the top layers of phyllo into 4 quadrants; don’t cut through to the bottom of the pan. Working in one quadrant at a time, score the quadrant in half again, as if you were cutting a pie into slices. Working parallel to the last line you cut, cut 2 lines on either side of that cut, spacing them evenly apart (for a total of 4 more lines). Working within each wedge, make 2 evenly spaced cuts parallel to the outside edge of the quadrant, connecting at points with the previous cuts to create a diamond pattern. Repeat with the remaining quadrants to form a starburst pattern.  

Bake until the phyllo is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven.

While the baklava bakes, make the syrup: In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the water, sugar, honey and cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil, stirring until smooth and blended. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer vigorously, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is reduced by one-third, 10 to 15 minutes, reducing the heat as needed so the mixture doesn’t boil over or burn. Remove from the heat, stir in the rose water and let cool.

Spoon the cooled syrup over the hot baklava in 4 additions, allowing the syrup to seep through the cuts into the filling. Garnish with chopped pistachios and rose petals. The baklava can be made up to 3 days ahead; cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and store at room temperature. Serves 10 to 12.

Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen