Baklava combines citrus, cinnamon, honey soaked layers of flaky crispy phyllo pastry with spiced nuts. It is the perfect sweet treat to finish off a meal. I’m a huge baklava fan. Nuts and honey and flaky pastry, and what’s not love about the hint of citrus flavor which offsets the sweetness and compliments the cinnamon. It’s truly delicious! Did I mention, it’s a great makeahead dessert that’s perfect for the holidays or special occasions, so you never have to rush. You might think baklava is difficult to make since it looks quite fancy and impressive with all those flaky layers, however, you will be pleasantlysurprised it's actually simple!
In a medium sized saucepan on medium heat combine the water and sugar. Stirring occasionally until sugar is fully dissolved.
Add the honey, orange peel, lemon peel, and whole cloves. Stir and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for 25 minutes.
Remove syrup from heat and let cool to room temperature.
Remove the whole cloves, cinnamon stick and peels.
In a large mixing bowl stir together the finely chopped pistachios, walnuts and cinnamon. Mix until evenly combined.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Prepare a 9”x 13”x 2” baking pan by brushing the interior with melted butter.
The phyllo pastry sheets will be long rectangular sheets. Carefully slice all of the sheets in half to create two smaller rectangular pieces that will fit in your 9”x13” pan.
Take one sheet of pastry and place it in the pan. Brush the top of the pastry with melted butter. Repeat this process 8 more times with each layer being brushed with the melted butter.
Then add a thin layer of the nut mixture evenly over the top layer of phyllo.
Place another sheet of pastry on top of the nuts and brush with melted butter.
After cutting the 18 sheets of phyllo pastry in half you will have 36 sheets. Repeat this layering process to have: base 8 layers of pastry, nuts, 5 layers of pastry, nuts, 5 layers of pastry, nuts, 5 layers of pastry, nuts, 5 layers of pastry, nuts, and finally the top layer which will be 8 layers of pastry. Note: brush butter on top of each piece of pastry with butter during the layering process.
Once all layers have been completed, brush the very top sheet of pastry with butter.
Once the top layer has been brushed with butter using a sharp knife, carefully cut the pastry down the centre lengthwise to create 2 sections.
Then cut each section down the centre again. You will be left with 4 long sections.
Then, on an angle slice the pastry into diamond pieces (depending on how far apart you space the cuts, you will get 24 diamond shaped pieces of baklava or up to 36 pieces of baklava. Note: do not cut the pieces too small or the will be too difficult to eat and pick up).
Place the baking dish on the middle rack of your preheated oven. Bake for about 35 to 45 minutes or until the top of the baklava is golden brown. (Note: since ovens vary, be sure to check your baklava half-way through baking).
As soon as you remove the baklava from the oven, pour the cooled syrup all over the hot baklava. You will hear the baklava crackle as it absorbs the syrup.
Allow the baklava to sit at room temperature for a few hours before serving or for at least 1 hour. Use a knife or spatula to cut through the pieces again just to loosen the pieces and ensure the phyllo is cut all the way through.
Serve with a garnish of chopped pistachios and/or walnuts. Enjoy!
Notes
Important Tips There are a couple of things that intimidate people when it comes to making baklava. One for sure is how to work with paper-thin phyllo pastry. Here are some tips that will ensure you make the BEST baklava:1. Thaw your phyllo dough properly. Thaw phyllo dough by package instructions. This is best done overnight in the fridge, then place it on the counter for 1 hour before starting your recipe to bring it to room temperature. I like to leave mine on the counter while I prepare the syrup. 2. Place the phyllo pastry sheets between two clean lightly damp towels while you assemble the baklava. This helps the phyllo sheets remain soft enough so they won't tear or break while lifting them. If they do tear while assembling don't worry! Once everything is assembled and baked you don't notice any tears and they don't impact the baking or final result. Just try to ensure a smooth, non broken or torn piece is used as the top layer for a smooth finish on top. 3. Prepare your honey syrup ahead of time. It's important that the honey syrup is cool when it hits the freshly baked hot baklava. The hot baklava layers will absorb as much of the syrup as possible and you'll have perfectly syrupy baklava. 4. Cut the assembled baklava into pieces before baking! This is a must. Why cut it before it's baked? Once phyllo pastry is baked, it's super crunchy and if you try to cut it at that time it will just break and crumble. 5. Make your baklava one day in advance. Baklava is even better the next day when it's had a chance to soak in the honey syrup. You can store it covered at room temperature after baking and serve it the next day. Be sure it is completely cooled before you cover it or it will steam and become soggy! This is a great option as this dessert is somewhat time consuming with all the layers so make it a day in advance.