Samboosak Hilwah

Description
This recipe is for 4 serves.

Ingredients

 * 8 oz filo dough, ½ package, thawed
 * ½ cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling

 * 1 pinch saffron, soaked in 2 tbsp rose water
 * ½ cup almonds, pulverized with ⅓ cup sugar
 * ½ tbsp ground cardamom, to 1½ tbsp

Glaze

 * 1 egg, beaten
 * sugar

Directions

 * 1) Combine the filling ingredients (saffron, rosewater, almonds, ⅓ cup sugar, and cardamom).
 * 2) Preheat the oven to 375°F.
 * 3) Grease 1 or 2 baking sheets.
 * 4) Cut the defrosted filo strips 2½ to 3 inches wide, stacking and covering with a slightly dampened towel to prevent drying.
 * 5) Lay 3 to 4 strips on your work surface and brush lightly with melted butter.
 * 6) Layer a second strip on top of each.
 * 7) Place a tablespoon of the filling toward the bottom right-hand corner of each strip.
 * 8) Fold that corner diagonally over to the top left-hand corner, forming a triangle.
 * 9) As you fold, be certain that the side of the strip lines up perfectly with the folded portion.
 * 10) Then fold straight up.
 * 11) Continue as if folding a flag, alternately folding the bottom corners in a diagonal pattern and up.
 * 12) Place on the baking sheet.
 * 13) Repeat with remaining dough.
 * 14) Brush the tops of the pastries lightly with a bit of egg and sprinkle with sugar.
 * 15) Bake for 15–20 minutes, until golden brown.

Variations

 * Tunisia variation: substitute grated orange peel for the saffron and cardamom, and drizzle with sweet syrup after baking.
 * Lebanon variation: substitute walnuts for the almonds, cinnamon and nutmeg for the saffron and cardamom.