rolled baklava fingers

part 1 - filling and shaping the baklava fingers

• layer 2 sheets of (dry and non-buttered) filo dough, one on top of the other
• fold over the shorter side edge closest to you (about 4 cm or 1 1/2 inches)
• place your thin baguette or rod or tube across the folded edge
• sprinkle approximately 2 tbsp of the ground nuts powders across the entire surface
• using the baguette, loosely roll everything up
• with your fingers on the outer ends, gently compress the filo roll (like an accordian) into a shorter roll and remove baguette
• place inside your chosen baking dish (i used a 18x18cm or 7x7 inch square pan)
• repeat until you’ve filled up the baking dish and they all fit snuggly inside (but not too tightly so that the butter can seep through)
• cut the long baklava rolls in half-lengths (for the butter to soak through easily)

feel free to cut them to size to fit snuggly in any type of baking dish/pan whether they are aligned in a square or rectangular dish or in a spiral in a round dish

part 2 - baking

• melt the butter in a small saucepan
• heat oven to 150°C (300°F)
• brush butter on top of the rolled baklava fingers (fitted snuggly in the baking dish or pan) and pour the remaining melted butter to envelope and soak the baklava fingers completely
• bake for 75-90 minutes (or more if you make a larger pan) until golden and most of the butter has been well absorbed
• let cool for 5 minutes before adding the syrup, it should be warm

every 30 minutes, brush some melted butter on the top of the baklava fingers to avoid excessive browning on the top surface

part 3 - syrup

• in a saucepan, add all syrup ingrediants together and boil for 5 minutes then lower heat and let simmer for another 15 minutes
• pour the warm syrup over the warm baklava fingers and let sit and cool for 2 hours or longer (refrigeration is optional, they will keep for a week on the countertop)
• garnish with remaining ground pistachio powder and serve cold or at room temperature