Baklava Loaf

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 1/3 cup blanched almonds
• 1/3 cup walnuts
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 quantity Basic scone ingredients (see related recipe)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten

• Honey syrup

• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup water

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 6.5cm deep, 10cm x 21cm loaf pan.
2. Place almonds and walnuts into a food processor. Process until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in sugar and cinnamon. Set aside 1 tablespoon of mixture.
3. Follow steps 1, 2 and 3 of Basic scone recipe.
4. Roll dough out between 2 sheets of baking paper to a 21cm x 36cm rectangle. Brush with egg. Sprinkle nut mixture over dough. Starting from 1 short end, roll up like a Swiss roll. Place into loaf pan.
5. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand for 5 minutes in pan. Turn onto a wire rack.
6. Make syrup: Place all ingredients into a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Boil, without stirring, for 5 minutes.
7. Pierce top of warm loaf all over with a skewer. Drizzle with half the syrup. Sprinkle with reserved nut mixture. Stand for 5 minutes. Serve warm slices with remaining syrup.

Ingredients

• plain flour, for dusting
• 3 cups self-raising flour
• 80g butter, cubed
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups milk
• jam and whipped cream, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Lightly dust a flat baking tray with plain flour. Sift self-raising flour into a large bowl.
2. Using your fingertips, rub butter into flour until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Make a well in the centre. Add 1 cup of milk. Mix with a flat-bladed knife until mixture forms a soft dough, adding more milk if required. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently until smooth (don't knead dough too much or scones will be tough).
4. Pat dough into a 2cm-thick round. Using a 5cm (diameter) round cutter, cut out 12 rounds. Press dough together and cut out remaining 4 rounds. Place scones onto prepared baking tray, 1cm apart. Sprinkle tops with a little plain flour. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden and well risen. Transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm with jam and cream.