Recipe: Baklava

Susan,IL (08:25:05 AM) :

Baklava
Serving Size : 20

3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 pounds Filo dough
8 cups shelled walnuts
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves

SYRUP
4 cups granulated white sugar
3 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
1 piece orange peel
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice -- from 1/2 lemon

Preheat oven to 325 F. Combine nuts and spices in bowl. Melt butter and add oil. Keep warm while brushing filo. Brush bottom of pan with butter. Place 1 filo in pan, brush with butter and add another filo, continue until there are 4 layers of filo in bottom of pan. Brush with butter and sprinkle 4th pastry with nut mixture. Allow 2 pastry layers between nut filling; butter between each sheet of filo. Repeat until all nut mixture is used. End with 3 top layers of filo. Cut before baking with a sharp knife. Cut lengthways first and then cut diagonally to make diamond shapes. (Pour any extra butter/oil mixture over top.) Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

To make syrup: Cover and boil to approximately 220 F the sugar, water, cinnamon stick and orange peel. Then add honey, light corn syrup and the lemon juice to the sugar/water mixture. Bring to a boil, cool and pour over hot Baklava. I usually make the syrup while the Baklava is cooking and then pour it over the Baklava as soon as I remove it from the oven.
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NOTES : Baked layers of buttery filo dough and spiced walnuts; smothered in a citrus, cinnamon and honey syrup. Greek pastry, lots of walnuts and honey. This is very rich!