Baklava Barfi is the perfect fusion dessert for special occasional such as Indian festivals, birthdays, Ramadan and more. Treat the baklava lover in your life with this stuffed milk powder barfi in which a tantalising ribbon of nut filling runs through layers of smooth fudge-like Indian sweet.
Mixed Nut Barfi | Indian Baklava Fudge
I love indulging in all types of barfi, whether it’s a classic Plain White Milk Powder Barfi or a Kesar, Badam, Pista Barfi. I also love experimenting with flavours, since I have seen my Mum do the same. Some of her best recipes include her Nutella Barfi, Vanilla Caramel Chocolate Barfi, Peanut Chocolate Barfi and Almond Butter Barfi Bars. This mixed nut barfi is made from plenty of chopped mixed nuts which are sweetened with a honey sugar syrup.
What is Baklava Barfi?
Baklava Barfi is an Indian fusion dessert that combines the best of both barfi and baklava sweets in one. It is the love child of two classics following a random day of experimentation in the kitchen! Barfi is a milk based Indian dessert that is dense in texture with a fudge like finish. It can be plain white or take on different flavours and colours. Baklava is a pastry dessert made with layers of filo pastry which is filled with chopped nuts then soaked in a sugar syrup. For this recipe, we have taken the baklava nutty filling and sandwiched it between two layers of plain white milk powder barfi. More sweetened nuts are added to the top. The result is an Indian fusion sweet that is surprisingly not too sweet yet incredibly moreish!
Why you should make this recipe
Suitable for vegetarians – this dessert does not contain gelatine Eggless dessert – barfi is naturally an eggless recipe Keeps well for weeks – barfi keeps well for a long time thanks to a list of ingredients that do not spoil. It is also easy to package and transport. Great gift idea – filled with all opulent and rich ingredients, this recipe is a great gift for loved ones. Perfect for occasions – whether it is a birthday, celebration, Diwali, Ramadan, Christmas or Raksha Bandhan, this barfi is sure to please! Easy to scale the recipe up or down – all you will need is a bigger tray! Time – despite appearances, this is a fairly straightforward sweet and does not take too much of your time Equipment – you do not need special equipment for this recipe – a few decent pans, a baking tray and a knife will suffice.
Ingredients for Barfi with Baklava Filling
Full ingredients with measurements are available in the recipe card below at the end of this post
White barfi
Milk powder – use full cream milk powder which is usually available in most supermarkets Whole milk – for barfi, you will need whole or full fat milk which in the UK is typically 3.7% fat Ghee – you can use butter ghee or vegetable ghee which can be found in most supermarkets in the world food aisle. Alternatively, use melted unsalted butter however the flavours are not the same. Use butter ONLY if you struggle to get hold of ghee. I use homemade ghee
Baklava Nut Filling
Mixed nuts – I have used toasted walnuts and pistachio but you can use whichever nuts are to your liking. You can use salted pistachios but me mindful that this may change the flavour of this recipe. I have used plain pistachios and I toasted the walnuts at home. Almond flour – almond flour helps to bind the nut mixture together. If you do not have almond, or any other nut flour, I would suggest blending down a few nuts from your nut mix until you achieve a fine powder Cardamom powder – for flavour and to help with digestion. You can alternatively use cinnamon powder if making during Christmas but this will significantly change the flavour Honey – honey gives the sugar syrup a “baklava” flavour but you can leave it out and make the sugar syrup without it. If you do use honey, I suggest using a light and mild flavoured honey as the strong, dark ones can be quite overbearing Sugar – use white granulated sugar Water – the water, sugar and honey are all the same volume ratio.
How to make Baklava Nut Barfi & Tips
Firstly we need to prepare the nut filling: I have used pistachios and walnuts which are common fillings in baklava. Toast the walnuts lightly by heating in a pan over a gentle heat whilst turning continuously. As soon as the nuts become aromatic, remove from the pan. I finely chopped the nuts using a knife but you can use a blender or food processor. If you use electrical equipment, pulse only as we want to keep plenty of texture and bite in the nuts. Next, we have to prepare a honey sugar syrup. In a pan, heat water, sugar and honey. Once the sugar has dissolved, cook on medium heat for 1 minute then turn off the heat. Add the syrup to the nuts, cardamom powder and almond flour. You may not need all the syrup so add it spoon by spoon until the nuts begin to stick to each other. We do not want a wet mixture here. Leave the nut mixture to one side as we prepare the barfi.
Making the barfi:
Prepare your tray by adding a layer of parchment or baking paper – this will make it easier to lift the barfi out of the tray later. I have used a 8x8inch pan. Roast milk powder in a heavy bottomed pan. The heat should be kept on low and you must constantly stir. The milk powder colour should not change, we are only looking to roast the powder until it is lightly aromatic. Switch off the heat as soon as you can smell the milk powder. Keep stirring for 1 minute as the pan will remain hot. In another pan, heat milk and sugar gently to form a milky syrup. We do not need to bring the milk to a boil, simply to dissolve the sugar. Pour the milk into the milk powder and cook the mixture on a low heat until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and forms a soft mass. The mixture may still appear runny but it will harden and thicken as it cools. Spoon in some ghee and stir through. Now that we have cooked the mixture, you will have to work quite fast as the mixture wants to set as it cools. Add about half the mixture to your tray. Add a layer of the nut filling and flatten the nut mixture out slightly with a spoon or fork. Pour the rest of the barfi layer on top and smooth out slightly. Top with the remaining nut mixture and leave the Barfi to set. This tends to take a couple of hours. In the winter, I find that barfi can set within two hours but in the summer it takes much longer. Do not place the barfi in the fridge to speed up the process. Use a clean sharp knife to cut the barfi into pieces. I have made them 4x4cm which worked well for the height.
Storage
Baklava Barfi keeps well for one week at room temperature (although I have never come across barfi lasting that long). Store it in an air tight container to prevent it from drying out. You do not need to store in the fridge if consuming within a few days. Fridge – If you want to keep it for a few weeks, then keep Barfi in the fridge in an airtight container. Bring it to room temperature before serving. Freezer – Barfi can be frozen and actually freezes well though the texture may not remain exactly the same. Store in an air tight, freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature. Barfi is a great treat to make ahead of time.
Other Indian Sweets/Mithai Recipes
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Lachha Rabdi
Peanut Katli
Best Sooji Gujiya
Coconut Ladoo
Habshi Halwa
Coconut Barfi
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