Baklava

runningchef's Note:

This recipe was given to my mom by a friend from Greece and is made each Holiday Season.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Yield: 20 pieces

• 1 (16 ounce) box phyllo dough
• 1 lb unsalted butter
• finely chopped walnuts
• cinnamon-sugar mixture
• 1 cup sugar
• 3/4-1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 3 drops lemon juice

Directions:

1. Unroll filo dough and cut cross-wise down the middle.
2. Melt butter and keep hot while preparing the filo dough.
3. Grease a 13x9x2 inch pan with melted butter. Place 5 layers of dough in pan, brush with hot butter, and sprinkle sparingly with cinnamon and sugar.
4. Put in another 5 layers, brush with hot butter, sprinkle sparingly with chopped walnuts and cinnamon and sugar.
5. Repeat until all the dough is used; don't put any nuts within 5 layers of the top.
6. Cut into diamond shapes, being careful to cut clear through.
7. Using a spoon, pour enough hot butter on top to cover each piece of baklava.
8. Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees.
9. Pour remaining hot butter over the top without removing the pan from the oven and bake another 25 minutes.
10. While baklava is baking, make the syrup by combining the sugar, water, honey, and lemon juice and simmering over low heat until the baklava is done and the sugar is dissolved.
11. When the pan is out of the oven, drain as much of the butter as possible. Then, remove one piece from a corner, leave pan in a tilted position for 15 minutes and keep removing excess butter, soaking it up with a paper towel.
12. Finally, add the lukewarm syrup to the baklava in the pan.