Ricotta and nut pastry with fig and rose syrup compote

For the compote:

½ cup sugar
½ cup water
3 tbsp rose syrup
2 cinnamon quills
3 cardamom pods
½ tsp black pepper
6 fresh figs

Dissolve the sugar in the water over a low heat. Add the rose syrup, cinnamon, cardamom and pepper. Simmer for 3 minutes, then add the figs. Simmer uncovered until the figs break down, around 20 minutes. Cool and serve with the pastry.

For the pastry:

1 cup fresh ricotta
1 tbsp brown sugar
½ tbsp ground allspice
½ cup mixed nuts, roasted & chopped
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses or treacle mixed with lemon juice
Filo pastry
2 tbsp butter

Mix together the ricotta, sugar, allspice, nuts and pomegranate molasses. Line a four-cup oval mould with filo pastry. Butter the mould first before lining it with 6–8 sheets of pastry buttered on every second layer. Fill the pastry with the ricotta mix and seal completely. Refrigerate for 20 minutes then remove the pastry from the mould and fry in butter until golden on all sides. Transfer to a preheated oven on 180ºC and bake until pastry is crisp and golden, around 15 minutes. Serve with fig compote.