This Mother’s Day, The Morning Show is celebrating the recipes passed down through generations, with My Kitchen Rules (MKR) winner Janelle Halil and her mum Ayshe sharing their much-loved rolled orange and pistachio baklava.
The flaky, golden dessert has become a treasured family tradition, with Ayshe teaching the recipe to Janelle years ago.
Now, the mother-daughter duo is bringing that tradition to Australian kitchens, showing viewers how to create the perfect rippled filo pastry, nut filling, and glossy sugar syrup at home.
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Rolled Orange & Pistachio Baklava
Baklava Filling
Ingredients
- 200g walnuts
- 150g shelled pistachios
- 75g caster sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- Finely grated zest of 2 oranges
- Pinch of salt
Method
- Blitz until finely chopped (not a paste). Set aside.
Sugar Syrup
Ingredients
- 250ml water
- 220g caster sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Strip of orange peel
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Method
- Combine water and sugar over low heat, stirring until dissolved.
- Add cinnamon stick, orange peel, and lemon juice.
- Simmer for 10–15 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Cool completely and remove the cinnamon stick.
Baklava Assembly
Ingredients
- 1 packet filo pastry
- 200–250g melted butter
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C (fan 160°C)
- Grease a 22 x 40cm tray
- Lay filo sheet, brush with butter
- Sprinkle filling evenly
- Roll using a dowel/rolling pin
- Gently scrunch to create ripples
- Slide into tray
- Repeat with remaining ingredients
- Brush tops generously with butter
- Bake for 25–30 minutes until deep golden and crisp
- Pour over cold syrup immediately after baking
- Let soak for at least 30 minutes
