Candied Carrot Rose Tart

Ingredients:

• 2 large carrots (about 600 g), peeled
• 1.5 cups of sugar
• Juice of half a lemon
• 0.5 cups dried apricots
• 0.5 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup pistachios
• 1 cup walnuts
• 165 g unsalted butter, melted
• 5 large sheets of filo pastry, thawed

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Using a vegetable peeler, cut the carrots into long, wide strips. In a large saucepan, combine the carrot strips with sugar and 1.5 cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, then immediately transfer the carrots with tongs to a rimmed baking sheet.
3. Spread in a single layer and let cool, pouring all the syrup from the bottom of the pan back into the pan. Simmer the syrup over low heat until numerous small, bright orange bubbles form on the surface, about 10 minutes. You should have 1 cup of syrup.
4. Let cool for 5 minutes, then add lemon juice. Transfer to a heat-resistant container and refrigerate for 1 hour.
5. Meanwhile, combine the dried apricots and raisins in a food processor and coarsely chop, about 10 pulses. Add the nuts and 1/4 teaspoon salt, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and pulse until the nuts are coarsely chopped, another 10 pulses. Set aside.
6. Grease a 20cm springform pan with butter and line it with 1 sheet of filo pastry. Fold the overhanging edges under the pastry. Grease generously with butter and place the next sheet of filo on top, facing the other direction. Grease generously with butter and line the remaining pastry in the same way. Place the dried fruit and nut mixture into the pan and press firmly to distribute it evenly.
7. Lay the carrot strips on a work surface, side by side, about 2.5 cm wide. Starting at one end, roll them loosely. Place them vertically on top of the nuts, so you can see the spiral end. Repeat with the remaining carrots until the surface is covered with 30-40 carrot flowers.
8. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake until the edges are golden brown, 25-30 minutes. While the tart is still warm, drizzle the carrots with cold syrup, letting it drip onto the nuts. Remove the ring from the pan and let the tart cool completely, about 2 hours, then serve.