baklava

How To Make baklava

• 1

  Preheat oven to 350°. Place walnuts on jelly roll pan and toast in oven for 10 minutes. Whirl walnuts while warm in food processor. Add .5 c sugar and 1.5 t cinnamon to walnuts and set aside.
• 2

  Brush bottom of 9x13 pan with melted butter.
• 3

  Place 2 sheets of phyllo dough in the pan. Brush the top sheet with melted butter. Place 2 more sheets of phyllo dough on top. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle about .5 c of the nut mixture on top of the phyllo dough.
• 4

  Repeat step 3 until the dough and nut mixture have been used. The top layer of the pan should be 2 sheets of dough, brush with butter and add 2 more sheets brushed with butter. (basically 4 sheets of phyllo dough should be the top).
• 5

  Cut the baklava 3/4 of the way through. (Cut on the diagonal will give you the traditional shape of baklava). Spray the top with the 1 T of water (if you don't have a spray bottle, use your fingers to sprinkle the water on top).
• 6

  Bake in 325 degree oven for 45-50 minutes or until the top is golden brown. When done, remove from oven and cut the pieces the rest of the way through. Top with honey syrup. Cool thoroughly on a cooling rack. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Baklava will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
• 7

  While the baklava is baking, make the honey syrup. Grate the rind of the lemon in a saucepan and reserve 1.5 t of lemon juice. Add the 1 c water, 1 c sugar, 2 cloves, and 2" cinnamon stick to the rind in the saucepan. Boil till the mixture is syrupy and/or registers 230 degrees. Pour the mixture through a fine strainer. Add the 1 c honey and 1.5 t lemon juice.
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