Prepare Frozen Phyllo Dough

Remove phyllo dough box from freezer and place in refrigerator overnight to thaw. I use the Athen’s Phyllo Dough Sheets brand. Then remove box from refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours. Within the thawed box of phyllo dough are two wrapped packages. This recipe uses only one wrapped package. I recommend thawing both packages just in case. And if the other package is not used just place it back into the freezer for next time. Phyllo dough is very thin and may tear. That is okay for the layers but for the top layer you will want one sheet that is in perfect condition.

Prepare Syrup

First, prepare the syrup by placing all ingredients in a sauce pan. Place on stovetop on medium heat and stir until sugar has dissolved. Simmer on low to medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and discard cinnamon sticks and cloves. Set mixture aside to cool completely. It is very important that the syrup is cooled because the cooled syrup will be poured over the hot baklava.

Prepare Nuts

Place nuts in a food processor and pulse until chopped but not too fine.

Prepare Baklava

Butter bottom of pan8 sheets phyllo dough (baste each sheet with butter)1 cup chopped nuts2 sheets phyllo dough (baste each sheet with butter)1 cup chopped nuts2 sheets phyllo dough (baste each sheet with butter)1 cup chopped nuts2 sheets phyllo dough (baste each sheet with butter)1 cup chopped nuts (if this is the last of the nuts finish with next step)7-8 sheets of phyllo dough (baste each sheet with butter)

Baste a 9×13 commercial aluminum pan (not a foil aluminum pan) with melted butter. Roll out one package of the phyllo dough on the counter and carefully remove one sheet and place in pan. Gently brush with melted butter. Add seven more sheets on top making sure to butter each sheet. Then add 1 cup of chopped nuts and spread out evenly. Next, place one phyllo sheet on top of nuts and carefully baste with butter. Then add another sheet on top and butter it too. Add 1 cup of nuts on top and continue this step until nuts are gone. Finally, add the remainder sheets of phyllo dough making sure to butter each before adding another sheet until all sheets are gone (that should be about seven or eight layers on top of the final nut layer). To sum it up:

Cutting Baklava

After building all the layers place pan in refrigerator for about one-hour or until butter has hardened. It is important to cut baklava prior to baking. Remove pan from refrigerator and cut through baklava with a sharp knife being careful not to tear top layer. Since baklava is a rich dessert I highly recommend making smaller cuts. Starting at the top of the 9-inch pan make three slices from top to bottom. Then turn the pan sideways and make 4 slices making square pieces. Then slice the squares in half.

Bake Baklava

Place pan in a 350 degree Fahrenheit preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes or until top of phyllo dough is golden brown. Below is a phot0 of the baklava right out of the oven and then one drizzled with the seasoned syrup.

Add Syrup

Carefully remove pan from oven and using a large spoon drizzle cooled syrup on top of hot baklava and in-between slices. Note: I applied all but about 1-cup of the syrup. I kept the remainder for adding flavor to my coffee. Let baklava cool completely and then loosely cover the pan and allow to sit undisturbed for at least 8 hours or overnight. By doing so this will allow the syrup to be absorbed into the layers. Then remove two slices from one corner of the pan. There will be excess syrup that you should remove. Tilt pan so the syrup falls to the empty corner and either spoon out or use a turkey baster to remove the excess syrup. This step may be take a few times as the syrup will slowly run to the corner.

Serve Baklava

Baklava can be a sticky treat and you’ll want to make eating baklava a pleasant experience. For best results place a slice of baklava on a small plate or on a cupcake liner. Top with grated nuts and enjoy!

Refrigerate for up to two weeks or freeze for up to 2 months.