Paghlava
Georgian dessert with apricots
Ingredients Servings 25
1 cup raisins (light or dark)
1⁄4 cup apricot flavored white wine
1 1⁄2 cups dried apricots, pressed down
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄2 cup white sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon white wine (from raisins)
1 cup cashews (chopped roughly)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1⁄4 cup brown sugar
20 filo pastry (buy frozen and thaw before using)
3⁄4 cup unsalted butter, melted
SYRUP
1⁄2 cup honey
1⁄2 cup water
1⁄4 cup water, reserved from apricots soak or 1⁄4 cup canned apricot nectar
1⁄2 cup white sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon wine, from raisins soak
Directions
Warm 3/4 cup wine in saucepan and remove from heat
Add raisins and soak for 2 - 4 hours
Put apricots in saucepan and cover with water
Bring to boil and simmer for 40-45 minutes till very tender
Drain and reserve liquid if any left
Process apricots in food processor or mash till smooth
Put in large bowl
Add drained raisins, reserving the wine
Mix in white sugar, cinnamon, 1/2 tsp wine (from the raisins), vanilla, brown sugar
Allow to cool
Mix in cashews
Butter a 13X9X2 baking pan
Open filo sheets and cut to size of pan
Process one at a time keeping the rest covered
Brush butter on top of one sheet and place in pan
Repeat with 10 sheets one at a time and layer them in pan
Cover last sheet with apricot mixture
Cover with the next 10 filo sheets buttering each one as before
Slice through the top layers diagonally to create diamonds
Bake at 350 for 40 - 45 minutes till brown on top
Put on rack to cool before adding syrup
SYRUP
In saucepan mix honey, water, nectar (reserved from apricots), sugar, vanilla and wine (from the raisins)
Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes
Allow to cool completely
Drizzle on paghlava
Cover and cool for several hours
Best if cooled overnight