Boughasha I

Description
"Cigar" pastries with walnut filling

Ingredients

 * 3 oz shelled walnuts, finely chopped
 * 1½ tablespoons sugar
 * ½ lb butter, cut into bits and clarified
 * 14 sheets phyllo pastry, each about 14 inches long and 12, thoroughly defrosted if frozen

Syrup

 * 1¼ lbs sugar
 * ½ pint water
 * 2½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
 * 1 teaspoon rose water

Directions

 * 1) Stir the chopped walnuts and the 1½ tablespoons of sugar in a small bowl and set the mixture aside.
 * 2) Preheat the oven to Mark 6 / 400°F.
 * 3) Grease 2 baking sheets with 1 oz. of the butter, using a pastry brush.
 * 4) Assemble each "cigar" in the following way:
 * 5) Brush one sheet of phyllo evenly with 3/4 teaspoon of the butter.
 * 6) Fold the sheet in half crosswise to make a two-layered rectangle about 12 inches long and 7 inches wide.
 * 7) Brush the top with about ½ teaspoon of the butter.
 * 8) Make a 1-inch-wide fold on the closed side of the pastry and brush the fold lightly with butter.
 * 9) Sprinkle a teaspoon or so of the walnut mixture in an even row along its length, and roll the phyllo into a tight cylinder, about 1 inch in diameter.
 * 10) Assemble the remaining sheets of phyllo in the same way.
 * 11) Gently transfer the rolls to the baking sheet, and brush the tops lightly with the rest of the butter.
 * 12) Bake in the top part of the oven for about 20 minutes, until the rolls are crisp and a delicate golden brown.
 * 13) Then slide them carefully onto a large serving dish.
 * 14) Meanwhile, make the syrup.
 * 15) Bring the sugar, water and lemon juice to the boil over high heat in a small, heavy saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
 * 16) Cook briskly, undisturbed, until the syrup reaches a temperature of 220°F on a sugar-boiling thermometer, or a small bit dripped into iced water immediately forms a coarse thread.
 * 17) Add the rose water and pour the syrup into a heatproof bowl or jug, and let it cool to lukewarm.
 * 18) To serve, cut the rolls into 2-inch lengths and arrange them attractively on a serving plate.
 * 19) Moisten the warm pastry with a little syrup and serve the rest separately in a small jug.