Honey Walnut Baklava

Ingredients

• 1 pound walnuts, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 (16-ounce) package phyllo dough, thawed
• 1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup granulated sugar (for syrup)
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 cinnamon stick

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350F and brush a 9x13-inch baking pan with melted butter.
2. Combine the chopped walnuts, 1/3 cup sugar, cinnamon, and cloves in a bowl and mix well.
3. Unroll the phyllo dough and cover it with a damp kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out while you work.
4. Lay one sheet of phyllo in the pan and brush thoroughly with melted butter. Repeat to layer 8 sheets total, buttering each one.
5. Sprinkle about 1 1/2 cups of the walnut mixture evenly over the phyllo layers.
6. Layer 4 more buttered phyllo sheets over the nuts, then sprinkle with another 1 1/2 cups of walnut mixture. Repeat this process two more times, ending with a final stack of 8 buttered phyllo sheets on top.
7. Using a sharp knife, cut the baklava into diamond or square shapes all the way through to the bottom of the pan before baking - this prevents the crisp layers from shattering later.
8. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and crisp throughout.
9. While the baklava bakes, combine the 1 cup sugar, water, honey, lemon juice, and cinnamon stick in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Discard the cinnamon stick and cool the syrup slightly.
10. As soon as the baklava comes out of the oven, immediately pour the warm syrup evenly over the hot pastry, making sure it reaches the edges and corners.
11. Let the baklava cool completely and rest uncovered at room temperature for at least 6 hours, or overnight, so the syrup fully absorbs and the layers stay crisp.

Nutrition

Calories	260
Protein	4 g
Fat	17 g
Carbs	26 g
Fiber	1 g
Sodium	95 mg

Estimated per serving