Baklava

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Brush a 9×13 inch baking dish with melted butter. Pulse 2 cups of pistachios and 1 cup of walnuts in a food processor with 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon of cloves until finely chopped (not powdered).

2. 2

   Unwrap 1 lb (about 20-24 sheets) of thawed phyllo dough. Keep covered with a slightly damp towel — phyllo dries out and cracks within 5 minutes of exposure.

3. 3

   Layer 8 sheets of phyllo into the buttered pan, brushing melted butter (you'll need about 1 cup total) generously between each layer. This is the bottom crust.

4. 4

   Sprinkle 1/3 of the nut mixture evenly over the bottom. Layer 5 more buttered phyllo sheets. Another 1/3 nuts. Another 5 sheets. The final 1/3 of nuts. Top with the remaining 8 sheets, buttering between each one. The top layer should be especially well-buttered.

5. 5

   Using a very sharp knife, cut the baklava into diamond shapes ALL THE WAY THROUGH the layers (before baking, not after). This is critical — uncut baklava is impossible to portion later.

6. 6

   Bake 45-55 minutes until the top is deeply golden brown. While baking, make the syrup: combine 1.5 cups sugar, 1 cup water, ½ cup honey, the juice of half a lemon, and a small piece of cinnamon stick in a saucepan. Simmer 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Pour the cooled syrup over the hot baklava (or hot syrup over cooled baklava — never hot over hot, which would make it soggy). Cool completely, ideally overnight, before eating.