Chai Spiced Baklava with Chai Tea Syrup

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180° and grease a 35cm x 24 cm baking pan. Set aside.

2. To make the Raj's Chai Tea syrup, add the water, sugar, Raj's Whole Chai Tea, cinnamon quills and orange peel to a medium pot. Heat over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, then gently simmer for 10-12 minutes.  

3. Take the syrup off the heat, strain it and set aside to cool.

4. To make the baklava, finely chop the walnuts and almonds to a coarse breadcrumb texture (this can be done in a food processor).  

5. Add the chopped nuts to a bowl and mix in the Raj's Majestic Chai Masala and sugar. Set aside. 

6. Next, melt the butter over low heat and set aside.  

7. Cut the filo pastry sheets to the same size as the baking pan. To do so, unfold them in a neat stack on your bench and place the greased baking pan on top of them. Cut away any visible pastry along the edges. 

8. Shred the pastry scraps into pieces by hand or in a food processor and set aside.  

9. Start layering the baklava by taking a sheet of filo pastry and placing it in the bottom of the baking tray. Brush it with melted butter and top with another sheet. Repeat the process until you have used up 10 filo sheets. 

10. Next, sprinkle the shredded pastry offcuts over the filo base, top with more butter and add the spiced nut mixture. Spread it evenly over the entire filo base and gently pat it down. Drizzle with a little melted butter.  Place the remaining filo sheets on top of the nut mixture.

11. Using a sharp knife, cut the baklava into your desired portions (squares, diamonds, etc). Making sure to cut all the way down to the bottom layer of filo.  

12. Drizzle the remaining melted butter through the cut marks of your baklava.  *Tip: Sprinkle a few drops of water on the top layer of the baklava using your fingertips. This creates a steam in the oven and prevents the filo pastry from burning too quickly.  

13. Bake for 15 minutes on the oven’s middle rack. Reduce the temperature to 150° and bake for a further 45 minutes until the filo is golden brown.  

14. Remove from the oven and pour the cooled Raj's Chai Tea Syrup over the baklava. Allow it to rest and absorb the syrup for 30 minutes before serving.