Recipe: Baklava a la Papadakis Taverna

BAKLAVA A LA PAPADAKIS TAVERNA

5 teaspoons cinnamon
3 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
1 pound sweet butter, melted
1 pound phyllo pastry sheets
40 whole cloves
1 (2-inch) strip orange peel
1 (2-inch) strip lemon peel
1 cinnamon stick
1/3 cup honey
1/2 lemon, juiced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the cinnamon and walnuts in a medium bowl, and mix them together.

Brush the bottom of a 14x20-inch baking dish with the butter. Place one pastry sheet in the dish and brush it with the butter. Repeat this process so that 6 pastry sheets line the bottom of the dish.

Sprinkle 1/3 of the nut mixture over the top of the pastry sheets. Repeat this process so that there are 3 layers of the nut mixture and 4 layers of 6 buttered pastry sheets, ending with 6 pastry sheets.

Cut the baklava into 40 diamond shaped pieces. Insert a whole clove in the top of each piece.

Bake the baklava for 40 minutes, or until golden brown.

In a medium saucepan place the sugar, water, orange peel, lemon peel, and cinnamon stick. Bring the ingredients to a boil and then simmer them for 5 minutes.

Add the honey and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and add the lemon juice. Stir the ingredients together and then let the syrup cool. Remove the orange and lemon peel, and the cinnamon stick.

Spread the cool syrup over the hot baklava. Cover the dish with a towel; let sit for 1 hour before serving.

Servings: 12
From: Papadakis Taverna, San Pedro, California
Source: Southern California Beach Recipe by Joan and Carl Stromquist