Baklava Cigars

By LoriCaputo

Ingredients

• 100 grams walnuts, finely chopped
• 150 grams cashew, finely chopped
• 55 grams superfine sugar
• 1 tsp. dry instant coffee
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 7 sheets fillo pastry
• 80 grams butter, melted
• 1 medium lemon
• 110 grams superfine sugar
• 250 ml water
• 60 ml honey
• 1 cinnamon stick

Preparation

Step 1

Combine nuts, sugar, coffee, and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut 1 sheet of pastry crossways into 4 even strips, brush each strip with butter. Spoon 3 tsp of the nut mixture along the end of each strip, leaving a 3.5 cm. border. Fold in sides, brush with butter, roll up tightly to form a cigar shape. Repeat.

Place cigars onto a greased oven trays, bake in moderately hot oven about 10 minutes or until lightly browned; cool on trays. Then place cigars in a single layer in a shallow dish, pour over warm syrup and cool.

Syrup: Peel the rind from ½ the lemon. Combine the sugar with water in a pan, and stir over heat, without boiling, until the sugar is dissolved. Add rind, honey, and cinnamon to pan, simmer, uncovered, without stirring 2 minutes; cook 10 minutes, then strain.