Baklava

YIELD:

serves 20-30

ACTIVE TIME: 45minutes

TOTAL TIME: 2 hours

Ingredients

• 1 package phyllo dough thawed 
• 1 pound unsalted butter melted
• 4 cups nuts finely chopped (walnuts, pistachios, cashews, almonds)
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

For the syrup

• • 1 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/4 cup water
  • 1 1/4 cup honey 
  • juice from one lemon 

Instructions

1. Trim phyllo dough to fit your baking dish. 
2. Butter the bottom and sides of your baking pan.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together: the nuts, sugar, cinnamon, cloves. 
4. Divide the phyllo sheets in 4. 
5. Place 1/4 phyllo sheets into baking pan one at a time, brushing each sheet with butter once it’s in the pan before adding the next.
6. Spread about 1/3 of nut mixture over phyllo dough.
7. Add the 1/4 buttered sheets of phyllo, then another 1/3 layer of nuts. Repeat.
8. Finish off with 1/4 layers of buttered phyllo sheets. Brush the very top with butter.
9. Cut pastry into pieces and bake at 380˚F for 50-60 or until tops are golden brown.
10. Remove from oven and let baklava cool completely, uncovered and at room temp. 
11. Let it cool and make the syrup. Combine the honey, sugar, water, and lemon juice in a saucepan, then bring to the boil. Boil for about 10 minutes until the syrup has thickened slightly.
12. Immediately spoon hot syrup evenly over the baklava.