- Baklava

BAKLAVA

Sugar syrup:
1¼ c sugar
¾ c water
1/3 c honey
1 T fresh lemon juice
3 strips lemon zest (removed in large strips with vegetable peeler)
1 cinnamon stick
5 whole cloves
1/8 tsp salt

Nut filling:
8 oz blanched slivered almonds
4 oz walnuts (I use pecans)
1¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
2 T sugar
1/8 tsp salt

Pastry and Butter:
1½ c unsalted butter
1 pkg frozen phyllo dough

For the syrup:

Combine syrup ingredients in small saucepan and bring to full boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to ensure that sugar dissolved. Transfer to 2-cup measuring cup and set aside to cool while making and baking baklava. When syrup is cool, discard spices and lemon zest (can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days).

For the nut filling:

Pulse almonds in food processor until very finely chopped, about 20 1-second pulses. Transfer to a medium bowl. Pulse the walnuts/pecans in the food processor until very finely chopped, about 15 1-second pulses. Transfer to the bowl with the almonds and toss to combine (measure out 1 T nuts and set aside for garnish). Add cinnamon, cloves, sugar and salt to the nuts, toss well to combine.

To assemble and bake:

Spray a 13 by 9 inch baking pan with Pam. Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat oven to 300°. Unwrap and unfold the phyllo dough on a large cutting board. Carefully smooth with hands to flatten. Using the baking pan as a guide, cut sheets in half yielding two stacks roughly the same size as the pan (one may be narrower than the other). Cover the phyllo with a damp tea towel.

Place one phyllo sheet on the bottom of the baking pan and brush until completely covered with butter. Repeat with 7 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter.

Evenly distribute about 1 c of nut mixture over the last layer. Cover with another phyllo sheet and dab with butter. Repeat with 5 more phyllo sheets, staggering sheets slightly, if necessary, to cover the nuts and brushing each with butter. Repeat layering with additional 1 c of nut mixture, 6 sheets of phyllo and remaining 1 c of nut mixture. Finish with 8 to 10 sheets of phyllo, brushing each except final sheet with butter. Use the palms of your hands to compress the layers, working from center outward to press out any air pockets. Spoon 4 T melted butter on the top layer and brush to cover all surfaces. Use bread knife or other serrated knife with a pointed tip in gentle sawing motion to cut baklava into squares, rectangles or diamonds.

Bake until golden and crisped, about 1½ hours, rotating baking pan halfway through baking. Immediately after removing baklava from the oven, pour the cooled syrup over the cut lines until about 2 T remain syrup will sizzle). Drizzle remaining syrup over the surface. Garnish centre of each piece with a pinch of the reserved ground nuts. Cool to room temperature on a wire rack (about 3 hours) then cover with foil and let stand at least 8 hours before servicing. Can be wrapped tightly and kept at room temperature for 1 week.