Name: Chocolate baklava
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 250 gm slivered almonds; 150 ml honey (see note); 125 gm dark chocolate (72% cocoa solids), finely chopped; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; 6 sheets of filo pastry; 50 ml clarified butter; To serve: vanilla ice-cream; Greek coffee soil; 260 gm ground almonds; 150 gm caster sugar; 70 gm plain flour; 20 gm finely ground fresh coffee; 100 gm unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Chocolate baklava

Australian Gourmet Traveller Greek dessert recipe for chocolate baklava by chef George Calombaris of Melbourne restaurant The Press Club.

Serves 6

Prep

40M

Cook

30M

Total

1H 10M

We’ve taken the classic baklava dish, added chocolate and lifted it to a new level. Beautiful, hot and more-ish. The coffee soil is an added bit of fun. – George Calombaris

Ingredients

250 gm slivered almonds

150 ml honey (see note)

125 gm dark chocolate (72% cocoa solids), finely chopped

2 tsp ground cinnamon

6 sheets of filo pastry

50 ml clarified butter

To serve: vanilla ice-cream

Greek coffee soil

260 gm ground almonds

150 gm caster sugar

70 gm plain flour

20 gm finely ground fresh coffee

100 gm unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Method

Main

1.For Greek coffee soil, preheat oven to 150C. Sift dry ingredients through a coarse sieve into a bowl, add butter and mix to combine. Roll between sheets of baking paper to 5mm thick, transfer to an oven tray and bake until dry (20-25 minutes). Cool, then crumble with your hands. Set aside.

2.Increase oven to 200C. Combine almonds, honey, chocolate and cinnamon in a bowl, stir to combine and set aside.

3.Lay one sheet of filo pastry on a clean work surface. Brush liberally with butter, fold in half to form a square and brush again with butter. Spread one sixth of almond mixture along edge closest to you, fold in sides to cover filling, then roll up tightly, placing seam-side down on a lightly greased oven tray. Repeat with remaining pastry, butter and filling. Bake until crisp and golden (5-6 minutes). Serve immediately scattered with coffee soil and vanilla ice-cream.

George prefers to use Attiki honey.
Drink Suggestion: 1987 Domaine Argyros Vin Santo from Santorini, which has fig and date characters from 17 years in a barrel. Drink suggestion by Andrew Phillpot
Notes