Baklava is a sweet pastry made of layers of phyllo dough filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with sugar syrup or honey.
The Greeks and the Turks still argue if baklava originated in Greece or Turkey.
Ingredients:
– 1 package (450g) phyllo dough
– 1 cup melted butter
– 500g walnuts
– 1 tsp ground cinnamon
– 1 cup sugar
– 3/4 cup water
– 1/2 cup honey
– 2 tbsp lemon juice
Cooking Instructions:
1. Combine the sugar, water, honey, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Boil for approximately 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.
2. Butter the bottom and sides of a baking dish.
3. Keep dough covered in a damp cloth so it doesn’t dry out.
4. Chop walnuts in a food processor until coarsely ground. Stir together the walnuts and cinnamon until combined.
5. Heat oven to 160C.
6. Sprinkle approximately 1/5 of the chopped walnuts and cinnamon over the first 10 sheets of phyllo dough.
7. Repeat 4 more times but with 5 sheets of phyllo dough.
8. Finish the baklava with a top layer of phyllo dough (10 sheets).
9. Brush the top sheet of phyllo dough with butter.
10. Carefully slice the baklava.
11. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the baklava is golden brown.
12. Remove from oven and immediately drizzle all of the cooled syrup over the baklava.
13. Let the baklava cool completely at room temperature for 4-6 hours without being covered.
14. The baklava can be store for 1 to 2 weeks at room temperature.