Baklava

oilpatchjo's Note:

You can pay a premium for Baklava at the store. Or, you can make it yourself at home. It really is much more simple than believed! Make one tray for the home, or several for entertaining and the holidays.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 45 mins
• Prep Time: 1 hrs
• Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 16

Yield: 1.0 cake

• 9 phyllo pastry sheets (from a 1-pound package look in the frozen section at the local grocery)
• 1 cup walnuts (finely chopped the finer the better)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (melted)
• 1 cup honey syrup (see below)

Honey Syrup

• 2 2/3 cups sugar
• 2 cups water
• rind of one lemon
• 3 cloves
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 1 lb honey (of the darkest honey you can find)
• 5 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 1/2 tablespoons brandy

Directions:

1. Place an 8" round cake pan on a stack of sheets, and use as a template to make phyllo circles. You can get one entire circle, and one half-circle, from each stack of sheets. Use as much phyllo as possible.
2. Butter cake pan, preheat oven to 350.
3. Create six layers of phyllo, and brush each layer with butter.
4. Create fifteen layers of phyllo-butter-1 TBSP walnuts on top of the above.
5. Create six more layers of phyllo brushed with butter on top of the above.
6. Score top approximately 1/2" deep, to form 16 triangles.
7. Bake for 45 minutes, until it reaches a golden brown.
8. Pour honey syrup on top of pastry, slice through the remaining layers of phyllo, and allow to cool several hours before serving.
9. Honey Syrup:This is the honey syrup for the Baklava. You can store the extra syrup in the refridgerator until needed.
10. Combine first five ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until it thickens slightly (approximately 10-15 minutes).
11. Strain out rind and spices. Stir in honey, lemon juice, and brandy. Cool.
12. Use for pastries.