Baklava

By advancedlca

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups sugar, divided
• 3 cups water
• 1 medium lemon, sliced
• 1/2 medium orange, sliced
• 10 whole cloves
• 2 sticks cinammon
• 1 1/2 cups honey
• 4 cups ground walnuts
• 3 cups ground pecans
• 2 cups ground almonds
• 2 teaspoons ground cinammon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 (16 ounce) packages frozen phyllo dough, thawed
• 2 pounds clarified butter, melted
• Whole Cloves

Details

Servings 12

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a medium saucepan, combine 4 cups sugar, water, lemon slices, orange slices, whole cloves, and cinammon sticks. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook stirring occasionally, until thermometer registers 225 degrees. Remove from heat, and stir in honey. Set aside, and let cool completley.

2. In a large bowl, combine walnuts, pecans, almonds, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, ground cinammon, and ground cloves.

3. Line a 17x12 inch rimmed baking sheet with phyllo, letting edges of phyllo extend over ides of pan, overlapping phyllo, if necessary. Brush with melted butter.

4. Continue lining pan with phyllo, covering bottom of pan only, to make 8 layers, brushing in between each layer with melted butter.

5. Sprinkly 3/4 cup nut mixture evenly over top layer of phyllo. Cover nut layer with 1 layer phyllo; brush with melted butter. Repeat procedure with remaining nut mixture, phyllo, and butter.

6. Top the last layer of nuts with 9 layers of phyllo, brushing all but the top sheet with butter; reserve remaining butter.

7. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

8. Cut layers diagonally into 3/4-inch diamonds; insert a clove in center of each diamond.

9. In a small saucepan, heat remaining butter over medium heat until dark brown. Pour evenly over baklava. Bake for 1 hour. Cool completley.

10. Pour honey syrup evenly over baklava. Let stand for 2 days before removing from pan. Place baklava into paper liners to serve. Store at room temperature.

Note: Baklava may be prepared up to the baking stage, wrapped in heavy duty plastic wrap, and frozen. Thaw in refrigerator before baking.