This rich pastry is a famous dessert in Greece, Turkey and most Middle Eastern countries. Whatever its origin, the basic technique remains the same.

Some cooks replace the sugar with honey (reduce the quantity by half). You can use walnuts, almonds or a mixture of both - or even add some pistachios. Add a touch of orange flower water or rose water to flavor the syrup, if desired.

With these three variables, you can adapt the baklava recipe to suit your taste, making it in a rectangular dish or as individual pastries.