Walnut-Stuffed Pastries

[Nick]

Walnut-Stuffed Pastries

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15mins
Cooking Time: 40mins

Ingredients
300g walnuts, coarsely chopped
50g sugar
1 medium egg, lightly beaten
½ x 5ml spoon ground cinnamon
500g shortcrust pastry
175g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
300g sugar
300ml water
15ml spoon lemon juice
a little lemon rind
50g shelled pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped

Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, Gas Mark 4.

Mix the walnuts, sugar, egg and cinnamon in a bowl.

Pull out a small handful of pastry, spread out and place a tablespoon of filling in the middle in an elongated shape. Wrap firmly in the pastry, folding both sides inwards and rolling it. It should look like a short, stout cigar.

Arrange the little parcels neatly side by side in a buttered ovenproof dish, with the loose ends underneath. The pastries should not touch each other, otherwise their sides will not crisp. Brush the melted butter all over the top and bake for 30 minutes.

Increase the oven temperature to 200°C, 400° F, Gas Mark 6 and cook for 5 more minutes.

In the meantime, boil the syrup ingredients for 10 minutes, until slightly thickened.

When the pastries are cooked, slowly pour the hot syrup over them. Sprinkle some chopped pistachio nuts over and stand in the dish to absorb all the syrup.

The pieces can then be arranged on a platter. Keep at room temperature, covered to stop them drying out.