Ingredients:
• 1 pound chopped mixed nuts
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Toss together cinnamon and nuts. Unroll phyllo and cut whole stack in half to fit the dish. Cover phyllo with a damp cloth while assembling the baklava, to keep it from drying out.
- Place two sheets of phyllo in the bottom of the prepared dish. Brush generously with butter. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of the nut mixture on top. Repeat layers until all ingredients are used, ending with about six sheets of phyllo for the top layer. Using a sharp knife, cut baklava into four long rows; cut all the way through to the bottom of the dish. Then cut nine times diagonally to make 36 diamond shapes.
- Bake in preheated oven 50 minutes, until golden and crisp.
- While baklava is baking, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir in honey, vanilla and lemon zest, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.
- Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately spoon the syrup over it. Let cool completely before serving. Store uncovered.
Traditionally, baklava is made with walnuts and/or pistachios. I like to give it a Texas twist and use pecans. Any oily nut, or combination of nuts, will do nicely.
My best tip: Don’t rely on an ordinary little pastry brush to spread all that butter on the phyllo layers. Buy a regular paintbrush about 2 inches wide and of good quality, and dedicate to your kitchen. It will make assembling your baklava a breeze.
Store baklava at room temperature for a day or two, but then it needs to be refrigerated. You can also freeze it. Wrap in three layers of plastic wrap and then put in a zipper freezer bag. One handy method is to pack four or six pieces together so that you thaw just a few at a time. Thaw in the fridge for 4 to 5 hours or overnight.
