Baklava

Gooey, rich, buttery, and sweet.  Baklava is a dessert that is claimed by many cultures as their own.  Whether it is Greek, or Turkish or even Chinese, makes no difference to me.  All I know is that it's good, really good.









Walnut Baklava:

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) butter, melted
4 cups chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1 package frozen phyllo dough, thawed in refrigerator

Syrup
3 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves

• Preheat oven to 375F
• In a food processor, pulse walnuts with the cinnamon and sugar, set aside
• Place stack of thawed phyllo sheets on a work surface
• Brush the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch lasagna pan with butter
• Lay one sheet of phyllo dough in the pan and brush it with butter. 
• Repeat until you have 4 layers on the bottom of the pan, brushing each with butter as you layer
• Sprinkle phyllo stack with 1/3 cup walnut filling
• Lay another sheet of phyllo on top and brush with butter.  Repeat until the filling is used up, reserving 5 sheets of phyllo for the top layer.
• With a sharp knife, trim the edges
• Using a sharp knife, cut unbaked baklava into squares, or triangles, or diamond shapes
• Bake until puffed and golden 30 to 35 minutes.
• *While it is baking, make syrup by bringing all of the syrup ingredients to a boil and letting it simmer until the sugar is dissolved and mixture is syrupy (approx 10 minutes)
• Transfer the baklava out of the oven onto a wire rack and let it cool slightly
• Pour hot syrup over the baklava and let it stand at room temperature until syrup is absorbed, at least 3 hours. 
• To store, keep at room temp for up to 3 days.

Brush each layer with melted butter

Sprinkle in walnut mixture

Trim the edges

Cut

Finished

Serve