Recipe of the week: José Pizarro’s honey pastries with baked figs
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Baklava, but fancier!
“This is my kind of dessert – packed with interesting flavours, and a stunning centrepiece for the table,” says chef and restaurateur José Pizarro.
“It’s hard to beat roasted figs, bursting with sweetness straight from the oven, with just a touch of soft goat’s cheese and honey for balance.”
Ingredients (serves 10-12)
125g caster sugar
50ml honey
½tsp orange blossom water
225ml water
150g mixed nuts such as walnuts, almonds, pistachios, finely chopped
½tsp ground cinnamon
100g unsalted butter, melted
6-8 sheets of filo pastry
8 ripe figs, halved
4tbsp Pedro Ximenez sherry
Good drizzle of honey
Handful of flaked almonds, toasted
To serve
Crème fraîche (optional)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4).
2. In a small saucepan, melt the sugar, honey and orange blossom water with the water, then simmer gently for 10-15 minutes, until slightly reduced and syrupy.
3. Mix the chopped nuts with the cinnamon. Lightly grease an 18-20cm square shallow tin with a little of the melted butter. Lay a sheet of filo in the bottom (trim if necessary) and brush with the butter, scatter with the nuts then add another layer of filo and melted butter.
4. Repeat four times, ending with a final layer of filo. Butter the top generously and use a sharp knife to cut into diamond shapes.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden and crisp.
5. Spoon half of the cooled syrup over the pastries as they come out of the oven.
Let stand for five minutes, then spoon over the rest of the syrup. Allow to cool completely in the tin.
6. As the pastries are cooling, place the figs in a small baking dish and drizzle with honey and sherry. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until tender.
Serve the pastries with the baked figs and a dollop of crème fraîche, if you like.
Andalusia: Recipes From Seville and Beyond by José Pizarro, photography by Emma Lee, is published by Hardie Grant, priced £26. Available now.
