Paige’s Baklava

My friend Paige is a great baker and she recently made this delicious Baklava!  It was so flaky and gooey, and I didn’t want to stop eating it!  Try out her recipe after the break. Baklava sundaes are quite fun as well:  with the leftover baklava, crumble it over vanilla ice cream!

Ingredients

• 1 pound finely chopped mixed nuts (I used half hazelnut, half walnut)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2/3 cup Brown sugar (dark)
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish.
2. Toss together cinnamon, cloves, brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar and nuts. Unroll phyllo and cut whole stack in half to fit the dish. Cover phyllo with plastic wrap, then a damp cloth while assembling the baklava, to keep it from drying out.
3. Place one sheet of phyllo in the bottom of the prepared dish. Brush generously with butter. Do this until you have 8 layers of phyllo. Then, Sprinkle 1/4th of the nut mixture on top. Repeat layering process of phyllo and brushed butter, this time with 4 layers in between, then add another 1/4th of nut mixture. Repeat until nut mixture in finished, ending with about 6 sheets of phyllo on top. Using a sharp knife, cut baklava into four long rows, then (nine times) diagonally to make 36 diamond shapes.
4. Bake in preheated oven 50 minutes, until golden and crisp.
5. While baklava is baking, combine remaining sugar, honey, vanilla, lemon zest and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Let cool slightly.
6. Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately pour the syrup over it. Let cool completely before serving. Store uncovered.

Note: You want to have everything prepared before you open the phyllo dough – have oven preheated, and the nut mixture and melted butter ready to work – Phyllo is finicky! Patience is required, but keep a steady working pace so it doesn’t dry out!

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