Baklawa with Almonds

Sift the semolina and the flour, mix and make a well in the centre. Pour into the salt diluted in a little water, then break in the eggs and add 1 decilitre of oil. Incorporate these ingredients in the mixture with your fingertips and knead with enough warm water to obtain a homogenous and firm paste.
Meanwhile, blanch the almonds, wipe or pop into the oven for a few minutes. Then crush finely and add the sugar. Grease a round tray (siniya) with oil or butter. Melt the butter in oil and keep over a low heat.
Now take the dough, knead it again for a long time until smooth. Divide into 24 equal balls. Dust the board with starch. Take a bowl, flatten with your hands to a small pancake then wind around a long rolling pin (aoud il richta) then roll out to a batter. Sprinkle the dough and the board with starch. Wind the paste round the rolling pin again and roll out again. Repeat these operations several times until you obtain the thinnest leaf possible; a little larger than the diameter of the siniya. Spread the leaf on the tray very gently so as not to tear it. Sprinkle generously with the oil and butter mixture using a soft brush. Spread over the tray a dozen leaves of paste each prepared in the same manner and sprinkled with oil and butter. Then spread over the crushed almonds evenly then, make another series of paste leaves rolled out and greased in the same manner and spread over the almond layer.
Now cut the baklawa with a sharp knife into parallel strips 3cm wide, then cut diagonally so that you obtain regular lozenges. Pop the tray into the oven.
Meanwhile, prepare 1 litre of syrup flavoured with at least 4 tablespoons of orange blossom water. When the baking is over, remove from the oven, run the knife between the lozenges without removing them. Sprinkle with syrup and leave overnight before cutting.
Remove the baklawas gently, store in a metal box in layers separated by alluminium foil. They are now ready for use.

Baklawa with Hazelnuts Baklawit Kalb il Boufriwa

Baklawa with Pine Kernels Baklawit Kalb il bondok

Baklawa with Pistachio Nuts Baklawit Kalb il Fozdok

Make in the same way as the preceding recipe. Use, in place of almonds, the same amount of hazelnuts, pistachio nuts, pine kernels or a mixture of almonds and one of these nuts in equal amounts.