Syrup:
Syrup:
3 1/2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon rind
1 cinnamon stick
3-4 whole cloves
Filling:
1/2 lb almonds, finely chopped
1/2 lb walnuts, finely chopped
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 lb phyllo dough
~1 cup butter, melted
In a saucepan, combine water, sugar, lemon juice & rind, cinnamon stick and cloves. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20 min. Strain and cool.
Combine almonds, walnuts, sugar and cinnamon. Place 8 sheets of phyllo pastry, one at a time, at bottom of an 8x14x2-inch pan, brushing each sheet with melted butter. Sprinkle top sheet generously with some of the nut mixture and place 2 buttered phyllo sheets on top. Sprinkle with nut mixture. Continue adding buttered phyllo sheets, sprinkling every second sheet with nut mixure until all nut mixture is used. Place remaining phyllo sheets on top, buttering each one. With a sharp knife cut baklava into small diamond shaped pieces. Bake baklava at 350F/180C for 45 min to an hour or until golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately pour cool syrup over pastry.
Comments:
1) Nut mixture can be added in 3 layers only, instead of after every 2 sheets of phyllo.
2) More phyllo dough can be used: 1 lb phyllo.
3) At the end, make sure the pastry is absorbing the syrup - do not pour all of it right away, but start out with 3/4 of syrup. A few minutes later add more depending on how much is being absorbed otherwise it might come out soupy.
4) Do not cover until completely cool, because it will become soggy.
From "The Art of Greek Cookery"