Baklava #Recipe

2 cups blanched almonds
2 cups walnuts
1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1-1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and clarified
1-1/2 pounds 9x13 filo pastry dough sheets (number 4, preferrably), defrosted 12 hours ahead of time
Syrup (recipe below)
Directions
Preheat oven 325 degrees.
Pulse almonds and walnuts in food processor until finely chopped. Mix nuts with sugar and cinnamon.

Brush a 9x13 pan with melter butter. Use 4 sheets of filo for the bottom layer, brushing each sheet with butter after laid in pan. Top the first four buttered layers with a fifth layer of unbuttered filo and sprinkle a handful (thin layer) of nut filling on the filo. On top of that, put one sheet of filo and butter it in the pan. Top with an unbuttered layer, then another thin sprinkling of nuts. Then buttered layer, then unbuttered layer, then nuts. Repeat until all the nut filling has been used. Top the baklava with 4 more individually buttered filo sheets. Evenly brush any remaining butter over top.

Score the top of the baklava, halfway through layers, into diamond-shape pieces. Sprinkle with water and bake for 1 hour.

Remove from oven and immediately pour cooled syrup (recipe below) over the baklava.

Let stand at room temperature for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

Syrup: 
4 cups sugar
3 cups water
1/2 cup honey
1 stick cinnamon
6 cloves
1 T Metaxa or brandy (optional)
1 or 2 slices lemon

Boil the sugar and water to a boil in a large pot for five minutes; add honey, cinnamon, lemon, cloves, metaxa or brandy (optional) and boil for another five minutes. Let cool while preparing the cake. Strain syrup before using.

recipe resource here

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