Baklava

I love to make Baklava! This is traditional style, I have another style to make it which I will make in a few weeks. It is so easy to make. I used frozen phyllo dough for this one. I know how to make phyllo dough and have numerous times, but it is time consuming and you really need more room that what most kitchens have available, so, store bought it is! I hope you try it!

1 package frozen phyllo dough, 16 oz.
2 sticks melted butter
4 cups ground walnuts
1 tablespoon cinnamon

soaking syrup:

3/4 cup water
1/2 cup honey
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Prepare a 9 x 13 pan with pan spray.

Heat your oven to 325*

First you combine your soaking syrup in a small saucepan and get it to a simmer while you combine the rest of the ingredients.

Next grind your walnuts to get 4 cups and combine them with 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon.

Now unroll your phyllo dough sheets and cut about 1 inch off the end. Use a sharp knife and cut through the whole stack at one time.

Carefully pick up one sheet and place it into your pan. Now brush with melted butter, now add another sheet of phyllo and brush with butter, repeat with 8 more sheets, brushing each one with butter as you layer them.

Now measure out 3/4 cup of nut mixture and spread it over you first 10 phyllo sheets, now begin the laying again with this time 5 sheets, buttering each one as you go.

now 3/4 cup nuts, now 10 more phyllo sheets brushed with butter, now repeat the process until you use all the sheets and nuts.

Now when you have layered all the phyllo sheets and the nuts, you carefully cut through the Baklava with a very sharp knife, going slowly because the dough layers are very delicate.

You cut at an angle starting in a corner. Make your cuts about 1 1/2 inches wide. Cut until you get the diagonal slices, then turn the pan and slice the opposite direction till your baklava looks like mine in the photo.

Bake in your preheated oven for approximately 1 1/2 hours.

When you take it out of the oven, pour the syrup over all the Baklava. Let it absorb the syrup, and let it cool to room temperature.