Email to Beth Hayes      

Baklava

Source of Recipe

Better Homes and Gardens magazine


Recipe Introduction

To prevent the paper-thin phyllo dough from drying out when making this Greek pastry, keep the unused dough covered with plastic wrap till you're ready to use it. Prep Time: 45 minutes Cooking Time: 35 minutes

List of Ingredients

4 cups (1 pound) walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1-1/4 cups butter, melted
1 16-ounce package frozen phyllo dough, thawed
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 inches stick cinnamon





Recipe

Directions



For filling, in a large mixing bowl stir together chopped walnuts, 1/2 cup sugar, and the ground cinnamon. Set aside.


Brush the bottom of a 15x10x1inch baking pan with some of the melted butter. Unfold phyllo dough. Keep phyllo covered, removing sheets as you need them. Layer one-fourth of the phyllo sheets in the pan, generously brushing each sheet with melted butter as you layer, and allowing phyllo to extend up the sides of the pan. Sprinkle about 1-1/2 cups of filling on top of the phyllo. Repeat layering the phyllo sheets and filling twice.


Layer remaining phyllo sheets atop the third layer of filling, continuing to brush each sheet with butter before adding the next phyllo sheet. Drizzle any remaining butter over the top layers. Trim edges of phyllo to fit the pan. Using a sharp knife, cut through all layers to make 60 diamond-, triangle-, or square-shaped pieces.


Bake in a 325° F oven for 45 to 50 minutes or till golden. Slightly cool in pan on a wire rack.


Meanwhile, for syrup, in a medium saucepan stir together the 1-1/2 cups sugar, the water, honey, lemon peel, lemon juice, and stick cinnamon. Bring mixture to boiling. Reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Remove the stick cinnamon. Pour the syrup over the warm baklava in the pan. Cool completely. Place in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.