Baklava

Method

1. Soak the raisins in the rum and set them aside while you prepare everything else.
2. Beat the eggs and sugar with a mixer until well thickened, then add the margarine and beat again to loosen it.
3. Stirring, add the semolina, the ground and broken walnuts, the carob flour if you have it, the lemon zest, the vanilla sugar and finally the rum-soaked raisins. Mix well.
4. Lay the sheets in a greased rectangular tin the size of the pastry: one sheet, then flick oil over it. Alternate that way until half the sheets are used.
5. Add the filling and spread it evenly right to the edges, then repeat the same process with the remaining sheets. The top must be oiled again.
6. Cut the baklava lengthways into 3 equal strips, then across into 6, to give you squares. Cut each square again on the diagonal if you want triangles. The cutting must be done before baking and must go all the way to the base.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 240 °C until browned on top, about 40–45 minutes.
8. Meanwhile make the syrup: put the sugar and vanilla sugar into 900 ml water and boil, stirring, until it comes to the boil and begins to thicken. Let it boil about 4 minutes more, then set it aside to cool until you can hold your little finger in it for ten seconds.
9. Pour the syrup over the baklava while the baklava is still hot and leave it overnight. It is not cut or served the same day — the syrup needs a night to work through every layer.