Baklava Cupcakes
Makes 12
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210g plain flour
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1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
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50g caster sugar
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45g butter melted
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1 teaspoon cinnamon
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1 large egg
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1/3 cup runny honey
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250ml milk
For filling
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200g walnuts chopped
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150g demerera sugar
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1 teaspoon cinnamon
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85g melted butter
Also
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10 sheets filo pastry
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100g butter melted and preferably clarified *see note
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1/2 cup runny honey
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 200C/390F. Line a 12 hole muffin baking tray with papers. Mix the flour, bicarb and sugar together until well combined. In a measuring jug whisk the egg, milk, butter and honey and make a well in the flour and mix in until combined. Spoon into papers until 2/3-3/4 full and bake for 15 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Step 2 - Cover the filo with a damp teatowel (it dries out very easily) and doing it layer by layer, lightly brush the butter over each sheet of filo until all of the sheets are used. Cut out 12 circles about the same size as the diameter of the cupcakes and bake in the 200C oven for 10-15 minutes until golden. Cool.
Step 3 - Mix all filling ingredients in one bowl. When the cake is completely cool gently remove the paper cases from the cakes. Slice the cake horizontally in half and place a spoonful of the nut mixture on the cut side and then top with a few circles of the crisp, golden filo (4-5 layers of the pastry discs or so - some might break, you can eat those or save them for the middle, use the best discs for the top). Drizzle a little honey on top of the filo and then replace with the other half of the cupcake.
Step 4 - Repeat with the nut mixture, filo discs and honey on the top of the cupcake.
*To clarify butter melt it and then skim off the foam and white that floats to the top