MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
  
       Title: Baklawa 'be'aj'
  Categories: Desserts
       Yield: 40 Servings
  
       1 lb Phyllo dough sheets
     3/4 c  Unsalted butter; melted
     1/2 c  Chopped pistachio nuts, opt.
 
 MMMMM------------------------NUT FILLING-----------------------------
       2    Egg whites
     1/2 c  Caster sugar
       2 c  Coarsely ground walnuts
       2 c  Coarsely ground almonds
       1 ts Rose water
 
 MMMMM------------------------ALTAR SYRUP-----------------------------
       2 c  Granulated sugar
   1 1/2 c  Water
       1 ts Lemon juice
       1 ts Orange flower water
       1 ts Rose water
  
       Stack 10 sheets phyllo on a flat surface, keeping remainder
   covered with a dry, then a damp tea towel.
   
       Brush top sheet of stack with butter, lift sheet and replace on
   stack buttered side down.  Brush top with butter, lift top two sheets
   and turn over on stack.  Repeat until all 10 sheets are buttered,
   lifting an extra sheet each time.  Top and bottom of finished stack
   should remain unbuttered.
   
       With kitchen scissors cut buttered stack of phyllo into
   approximately 10 cm (4 inches) squares.  Stack and cover.  Prepare
   remainder of phyllo. Depending on size of phyllo sheets, you may have
   fewer than 10 left at the end.  Halve sheets if necessary to give 10
   layers.
   
       Beat egg whites until stiff and beat sugar in gradually.  Fold in
   nuts and rose water.
   
       Butter top of phyllo square and place a tablespoonful of nut
   mixture in the centre.  Gently squeeze into a lily shape, with four
   corners of square as petals and filling in centre.
   
       Place in a buttered 25 x 33 cm (10 x 13 inch) baking dish. Repeat
   with remaining ingredients, placing finished pastries close together
   in dish.
   
       Bake in moderate oven for 30 minutes, reduce to slow and cook for
   further 15 minutes.
   
       Meanwhile dissolve sugar in water over heat, add lemon juice and
   orange water and bring to the boil.  Boil for 15 minutes, stir in
   rose water and cool.
   
       Spoon cool thick syrup over hot pastries.  Leave until cool and
   sprinkle pistachio nuts in centres of pastries if desired.
   
       Note: If you are not used to working with phyllo pastry, then it
   is advisable to fill and shape the first lot of buttered squares
   before going onto the nest lot.  The butter firms fairly quickly and
   it could be difficult to shape the pastries if the buttered sheets
   are left for a time.
   
   * From: The Complete Middle East Cookbook by Tess Mallos. * ISBN: 1
   86302 069 1. * Typed for you by Karen Mintzias
  
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