Are you a Baklava fan? I know I am! What’s not to love with honey-soaked layers of flaky phyllo dough with nuts. A great make ahead dessert for entertaining.
Ingredients
2 cups of chopped nuts ( pistachio, walnuts or almonds)
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 package phyllo dough, thawed
2 sticks butter, melted
Syrup
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
½ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cinnamon stick ( optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Chop nuts into small pieces or process in a food processor
Into a bowl, combine nuts, sugar and cinnamon.
Brush a square baking pan with melted butter. Layer 7 pieces of phyllo dough into the pan, brushing each piece with melted butter before adding next (keep remaining dough covered with damp cloth). Sprinkle ¼ of the nut mixture on top of dough.
Layer another 4 sheets of phyllo, brushing each with butter, then add another ¼ of the nut mixture. Repeat process until all the nut mixture has been used. The top layer should be 7 phyllo sheets thick, each sheet individually buttered.
Score the top lightly in a diamond pattern. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Pour syrup on top and cool before cutting.
To make syrup: Bring sugar, water, honey, vanilla and cinnamon stick to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce to simmer and cook for about 10 minutes or until thickened. Remove cinnamon stick and cool.