Ingredients:
- 1 pound finely chopped, mixed nuts (walnuts, pistachios, almonds*)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1 package phyllo dough
- 1 cup melted butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
* You can also use hazelnuts (very traditional in Egyptian Baklava) but I don’t because I’m allergic to them
Directions:
- Mix cinnamon powder and chopped nuts.
- Unroll the dough and place two sheets in the bottom of buttered 9×13 inch baking dish. Brush generously with melted butter. Sprinkle two to three tablespoons of the cinnamon-nut mixture on top. Repeat layers until the dough and cinnamon-nut mixture are used (last layer should be the dough).
- Cut the baklava into four long rows and then diagonally to make diamond shapes. Place it into a preheated oven (350F) and bake it for about an hour until golden and crisp.
- While baklava is baking, combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring it to a boil. Stir in honey, vanilla and lemon zest, reduce heat and simmer the mixture for 20 minutes. Put the mixture in the fridge to cool slightly and then, when the baklava is done, spoon the cooled syrup over it while it’s still hot.
- Re-cut along the lines from before once cooled and serve.