Baklava

Ingredients

SUGAR SYRUP

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

1/3 cup honey

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tsp ground cinnamon

5 whole cloves

1/8 teaspoon salt

NUT FILLING

1.5 cups crushed almonds

1 cup UNSEASONED pistachios

2 tablespoons sugar

1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

PASTRY AND BUTTER

16 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 lb (14x9in) phyllo, thawed

Directions

1. FOR THE SUGAR SYRUP: Bring all ingredients to boil in small saucepan, stirring occasionally to ensure that sugar dissolves. Transfer syrup to 2-cup liquid measuring cup and set aside to cool while making and baking baklava; when syrup is cool, remove spices and lemon zest.

is cool, remove spices and lemon zest.

(Cooled syrup can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.)

2. FOR THE NUT FILLING: Pulse almonds in food processor until very finely chopped, about 20 pulses; transfer to medium bowl. Pulse walnuts in food processor until very finely chopped, about 15 pulses; transfer to bowl with almonds and toss to combine. Measure out 1 tablespoon nuts and set aside for garnish. Add sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and salt to nut mixture and toss well to combine.

amamon, doves, and salt to nut mixture and toss well to combine.

3. TO ASSEMBLE AND BAKE: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Melt butter slowly in small saucepan over medium-low heat until milk solids have separated from butterfat and collected on bottom of saucepan, about 10 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat, let butter settle for 10 minutes, then carefully skim foam from surface with spoon.

4. When all of foam has been removed, slowly pour clear butterfat into bowl, leaving all milk solids behind in the saucepan (you should have about 1 cup clarified butter).

5. Grease 13 by 9-inch baking pan with clarified butter. Place 1 sheet of phyllo in bottom of prepared pan and brush with clarified butter until completely coated. Layer 7 sheets of phyllo into pan, brushing each sheet with butter. Sprinkle 1 cup nut filling evenly over phyllo.

6. Layer 6 sheets of phyllo into pan, brushing each layer with butter, then sprinkle with 1 cup nut filling. Repeat with 6 sheets of phyllo, butter, and remaining 1 cup nut filling.

1 cup nut filling.

7. Layer remaining 8 to 10 sheets of phyllo into pan, brushing each layer, except final layer, with butter. Working from center outward, use palms of hands to compress layers and press out any air pockets.

Spoon 4 tablespoons of butter on top layer and brush to cover surface.

8. Using serrated knife with pointed tip, cut baklava into diamonds. Bake baklava until golden and crisp, about 1½ hours, rotating pan halfway through baking.

9. Immediately pour all but 2 tablespoons of cooled syrup over cut lines (syrup will sizzle when it hits hot pan).

Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons syrup over surface. Garnish center of each piece with pinch of reserved ground nuts. Let baklava cool completely in pan, about 3 hours, then cover with aluminum foil and let sit at room temperature for 4 hours before serving