Baklava Recipe
Baklava Recipe Ingredients:
1 pound of large (14 x 18 inch) phyllo sheets (20 - 22 sheets)
4 cups of chopped walnuts
4 cups of chopped unsalted blanched almonds
1/2 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon of ground cloves
1/2 to 3/4 cup of olive oil
4-5 tablespoons of bottled soda water
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Honey syrup:
1/2 cup of sugar
1 cup of honey
3/4 cup of water
juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
1 stick of cinnamon
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Preparation:
Defrost phyllo dough according to package directions. (See Phyllo Basics)
In a large bowl, combine the walnuts and almonds with the sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. Mix will with hands or a large whisk until thoroughly blended.
Preheat oven to 350-355°F (180°C).
Oil the bottom and sides of a 17 X 13 inch (or equivalent) rectangular baking pan. Place a sheet of phyllo in the pan and brush with a little oil (or butter). Allow any overlap to hang out the sides. Repeat until there are 4 sheets on the bottom. Spoon one third of the nut mixture evenly over the pastry. Add two more sheets of pastry, brushed with oil (or butter). Spoon a little of the nut mixture over the pastry and repeat until all but 4 sheets of phyllo remain. Top the pastry with 4 sheets, each brushed with oil (or butter), except the top sheet. Tuck any overlapping phyllo dough under itself, on top of the filling.
Score the pastry in pieces using a razor blade, and follow up with a sharp knife, cutting all the way through. To make triangles: cut the pastry into squares, then, cut squares in half diagonally to make triangles.
Sprinkle just the top of the pastry with 4-5 tablespoons of soda water (to get best results, use a spray bottle). Bake on the rack just below the middle of the oven 350-355°F (180°C) until golden (about 45 minutes).
