Bulgarian baklava (egg variation)

Ingredients:

•           1 packet of phyllo pastry
•           4 eggs
•           1 cup sugar (brown or moderately sweet white)
•          1 cup crushed walnuts
•           1 cup plain flour
•           3 tbsp melted butter
•           1 tsp baking powder
•           lemon zest (1 lemon)
•           olive oil for greasing

For the syrup:

•          2½ cups water
•           2½ cups sugar (white)
•           lemon zest (½ lemon)
•           vanilla essence (few drops)

Method:

1.  Preheat the oven to 200C (fan).
2.  Grease the baking tin with olive oil.
3.  Mix the ingredients in a bowl.
4.  Separate the phyllo pastry into 4 parts. Put the first ¼ in the tin, greasing each pastry sheet. Spread approx. ⅓ of the mixture on top of the pastry. Layer up the next part of the pastry the same way, then pour the next part of the mixture. The top layer of pastry should be greased well and sprinkled with sugar.
5.  Cut into small rectangles/triangles.
6.  Bake for 15-30 mins (depending on the oven), until golden on top.

NB! Burns easily.

The syrup:

1.  Put the sugar and water on a slow fire until they boil. Leave them to boil for 30 mins, until the substance thickens. Test with basic physics – pour a teaspoon of the syrup on a cold saucer. If it doesn’t spill and remains in a drop, it’s ready.
2.  Put in the lemon zest and vanilla, take off the fire and put the lid on.
3.  Leave to cool down.
4.  Pour the syrup over the baklava. Leave it to soak in well.

NB! Before pouring, one of the two has to be cold and the other one hot. Depending on your preparation, you could leave the syrup to cool down while baking the baklava, or vice versa.