Baklava

Total Time: 5 hrs Preparation Time: 3 hrs Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• 3 cups nuts (i use 1 1/2 c pecans, 1 1/2 cup walnuts)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 (8 ounce) packages filo pastry
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon rose water
• 1 whole clove
• honey syrup
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• cinnamon stick
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 tablespoon brandy (or 2 tsp. vanilla)

Recipe

• 1 bake at 325 until light golden brown.
• 2 chop nuts in blender until finely ground. mix in the sugar and ground cinnamon, set aside.
• 3 brush bottom of a cookie sheet with a little melted butter (i leave the paper wrapper around the filo and place a slightly damp towel over the filo to keep it moist).
• 4 place one filo sheet on working surface and with a pastry brush gently brush with the melted butter as quickly as possible.
• 5 repeat the process with two more sheets of filo.
• 6 sprinkle with nut mixture covering all but about one inch on the long side of the filo sheets and about 1/2 inch on the sides.
• 7 roll from long end to long end, and fold the ends.
• 8 then place seam side down on the baking sheet.
• 9 sprinkle with rose water (if you don't have rose water, plain water will do, but very lightly sprinkle and brush lightly with butter).
• 10 cut on a slant through the top layer to mark 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inch pieces and place a whole clove in the top of each piece. bake until light golden brown. remove to wire rack to cool and then cut all the way through.
• 11 place in a 13 x 9 pan and pour slightly cooled honey syrup over it and cover with foil.
• 12 let stand overnight or a few hours before placing in a tin.
• 13 honey syrup:.
• 14 grate rind (thin yellow, no ) from lemon; squeeze lemon juice (1 1/2 teaspoons) and set aside.
• 15 place lemon rind, sugar, water, cinnamon stick and cloves in a heavy medium-size saucepan; bring to boiling, lower heat, continue to cook, without stirring, 25 minute or until mixture is syrupy.
• 16 remove from heat, remove cloves and cinnamon and stir in honey.
• 17 stir in lemon juice and brandy.