Bake

Ketmer (Pistachio, Cream & Rose Baklava)

February  5, 2020
5
2 Ratings
Photo by Patricia Niven
  • Prep time 5 minutes
  • Cook time 40 minutes
  • Makes 6 individual pieces
Author Notes

Phyllo dough is a largely flavorless dough (consisting of just flour and salt), that when brushed with fat, crisps up in a big way. It's a perfect, crispy blank canvas for any fillings you choose—whether sweet or savory (or both!). Here, chopped pistachios pop against a lime– and cardamom-scented cream, and all gets shellacked by a heady rose syrup. —Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer

What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Ketmer (Pistachio, Cream & Rose Baklava)
Ingredients
  • Pistachio, cream & rose baklava
  • 1 small pack of filo pastry
  • 60 grams melted butter
  • For the filling
  • 100 grams double cream
  • 100 grams mascarpone
  • 1 lime's zest
  • 80 grams ground pistachios
  • For the syrup
  • 100 grams sugar
  • 50 grams water
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon rose water
  • For the rhubarb
  • 200 grams rhubarb
  • 2 strips of orange skin
  • 50 grams sugar
  • 1 orange, juiced
  • Alternative option with plums instead of rhubarb:
  • For the plums
  • 4-6 plums (depending on size; I allow 1/2-1 per person)
  • 100 grams (1/2 cup) caster sugar
  • 1/2 vanilla pod
Directions
  1. Pistachio, cream & rose baklava
  2. Mix the cream, mascarpone and lime zest together using a spoon until it thickens but doesn’t whip.
  3. Carefully open the filo pack. You will need six sheets. Lightly butter half a sheet and fold over lengthwise so that you get a double-sheet rectangle. Spread a heaped tablespoon of the cream mix all over, sprinkle with a heaped tablespoon of pistachios and very lightly roll into a “loose snake” shape, keeping plenty of air in the roll. Then coil to create a snail shape, tucking the end just under the snail to seal. Place on a baking tray, repeat five times and brush the top of all six generously with melted butter.
  4. Heat the oven to 190°C fan. Cut the rhubarb into 4cm segments, place in a small roasting pan or oven-safe frying pan and top with the sugar, orange strips and orange juice. Place in the oven and bake for eight minutes.
  5. Place the ketmer in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until beautifully golden. While in the oven, make the syrup by boiling the sugar and water, removing from the heat and adding the lime juice and rose water.
  6. Once the ketmer are golden, remove from the oven, drizzle generously with the syrup – traditionally, you would use all of it but you can start with just over half the amount and see what you think. Serve with the roasted rhubarb and extra cream. Best eaten warm but still lovely at room temperature later in the day.
  1. Alternative option with plums instead of rhubarb:
  2. Replace step 3 with the following: Heat the oven to 190°C fan. Quarter the plums and place in a baking tin or an ovenproof frying pan that fits them snugly. Scrape the seeds out of the half vanilla pod and mix with the sugar. Place the empty pod on the plums and sprinkle the sugar all over. Place on the top shelf of the oven and roast for 8-10 minutes. The cooking time depends on how soft the plums are to start with; you want liquid to begin oozing out of them, so if you need a little longer, return them to the oven. Once the juices have started to run out, shake the tin well so that the plums are coated in the liquid and all the sugar is melted.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • gugs
    gugs
  • Coral Lee
    Coral Lee

3 Reviews

gugs February 8, 2020
The cardamom quantity is missing from this recipe.
 
Coral L. March 23, 2020
Hi gugs! The cardamom was a last minute addition in the Dear Test Kitchen video filmed with Sarit and Itamar. The original recipe only contains lime zest and and pistachio, along with the mascarpone and cream. You can find that video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFfk8Zu3GnM
 
gugs March 23, 2020
Thanks Coral :)