How to Make Baklava

You can enjoy a taste of the Middle East with this recipe for baklava, a flaky, scrumptious dessert of Turkish origin dating back to the 15th century. Yields about 30 squares or diamonds.

Things You'll Need

• towels
• 1 1/3 c. water
• nonstick cooking spray
• zest of 1 oranges removed in large strips
• 1/4 c. plus 1 1/3 c. sugars
• plastic wrap
• 1/3 c. honey
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• saucepans
• 3 c. coarsely chopped nuts (walnuts, pistachios, almonds and/or pecans)
• strainers
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juices
• 13-by-9-inch baking pans
• 1/2 lb. unsalted butters
• mixing bowls
• serrated knives
• 1 tsp. grated lemon peel zest
• pastry brushes
• 1 lb. phyllo dough
• Plastic Wrap
• Towels
• Zest Of 1 Oranges Removed In Large Strips
• 13-by-9-inch Baking Pans
• Mixing Bowls
• Nonstick Cooking Spray
• Pastry Brushes
• Saucepans
• Serrated Knives
• Strainers
• Mixing bowls

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Grease the bottom and sides of a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with butter or cooking spray.

3. Toast the chopped nuts and then finely chop them.

4. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 c. sugar, lemon zest and cinnamon. Set aside.

5. Melt 1/2 lb. unsalted butter. Set aside.

6. Stack the phyllo dough on a work surface and trim it into 13-by-9-inch sheets. Set the scraps aside.

7. Cover the trimmed phyllo with plastic wrap and a dampened towel.

8. Put two phyllo sheets in the baking pan. Brush the top sheet with melted butter.

9. Add two more sheets and brush with melted butter. Repeat once more for a total of six phyllo sheets.

10. Sprinkle half of the nuts and then half of the sugar mixture over the six sheets of phyllo.

11. Cover the filling with two phyllo sheets and butter the top sheet. Repeat as before, until there are six sheets of phyllo dough on top of the filling.

12. Sprinkle the remaining nuts and sugar mixture over the phyllo.

13. Cover with the rest of the phyllo sheets, stacking them two sheets at a time and buttering the second sheet each time.

14. Brush the top of the assembled baklava with the remaining butter.

15. Take a very sharp, serrated knife and cut through the layers and make 2-inch diamonds or squares.

16. Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Bake until the baklava is golden, about 45 to 60 minutes.

17. During the final 30 minutes of baking, combine remaining 1 1/3 c. sugar, water, honey, lemon juice and orange zest in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.

18. Strain the hot sugar mixture and pour evenly over the baked baklava.

19. Let baklava cool at least four hours at room temperature. Serve.

Tips & Warnings

• It's important to keep the phyllo covered with the plastic wrap and damp towel to keep it from drying out, which it does very quickly. If it dries out, it becomes impossible to work with.

• You must cut the baklava before baking, because if you try to cut it afterward, the dough will crumble and the pastry will be one huge, crushed mess.

• Instead of nuts, try filling the baklava with dried fruits, sesame seeds, coconut or pineapple.

• Phyllo, also sometimes called filo, can be found in the freezer section of the supermarket. Be sure to let the phyllo thaw thoroughly before working with it.