Yia Yia's Baklava

Ingredients

• Servings: 20
• syrup:
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 whole cloves
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 1 lemon, juiced, divided
• filling:
• 1 pound finely chopped walnuts
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted, or more as needed
• 20 sheets phyllo dough

Recipe

Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 50 mins Ready Time: 1 hr 35 mins


• stir together water, 2 cups sugar, cloves, cinnamon stick, and 1/2 the lemon juice together in a saucepan. bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until flavor blends and syrup consistency is reached, about 15 minutes. stir remaining 1/2 the lemon juice into syrup. strain and refrigerate until cool, at least 30 minutes.
• stir walnuts, 1 cup sugar, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a bowl.
• preheat oven to 350 degrees f (175 degrees c). brush butter on the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch glass baking dish.
• lay the phyllo dough out on a clean, dry surface and cover it with plastic wrap. cover the plastic wrap with a damp towel.
• lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking dish and lightly brush with butter. lay another 1 sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with butter. repeat layering and brushing with butter with 4 more sheets of phyllo dough.
• gently spread 1/3 the walnut mixture in an even layer over the phyllo dough in the baking dish. place a sheet of phyllo dough over the walnut mixture and brush it with butter. repeat layering and buttering with 3 more sheets of dough.
• spread another 1/3 the walnut mixture in an even layer over the phyllo dough in the baking dish. place a sheet of phyllo dough over the walnut mixture and brush it with butter. repeat layering and buttering with 3 more sheets of dough.
• spread the remaining 1/3 walnut mixture in an even layer over the phyllo dough in the baking dish. place a sheet of phyllo dough over the walnut mixture and brush it with butter. repeat layering and buttering with the remaining 5 sheets of dough. cut baklava into 1-inch diamonds.
• bake in the preheated oven until lightly golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes.
• pour cooled syrup over baked baklava and cool for 1 day to absorb syrup.