BAKLAVA
Ingredients :
Syrup:
1 ¼ cup sugar
½ cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 strip of lemon peel
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
1 tablespoon rose water (optional)
½ lb ( 250 g ) nuts and almonds chopped coarsely
3 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and clarified
28 – 32 phylo sheets
Preparation:
Syrup:
Combine sugar, water, lemon juice, lemon peel, cinnamon and clove in a medium size saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower temperature and continue boiling until syrup thickens, approximately 10 minutes.
Turn heat off and remove lemon peell, cinnamon and clove. Add rose water and allow to cool.
Combine chopped nuts, almonds, sugar and ground cinnamon in a medium size bowl. Preheat oven to 180°F (33350°C). Brush butter on bottom and sides of a ovenproof glass mold 12x15x3 in. (30x37x7.5 cm. Layer 8 phylo sheets, one at a time, in the bottom, brushing each sheet with butter. Sprinkle 1/3 of nut mixture on top. Place 6 to 8 more phylo sheets, following the same procedure. Sprinkle half of the remaining nut mixture. Top with another 6 to 8 buttered phylo sheets and cover with remaining nut mixture. End with 8 buttered phylo sheets on top. Butter top sheet generously.
Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Using a sharp knife, cut the baklava into 25 to 30 diamond shapes. Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 300°F (180°C). Bake 15 or 20 minutes longer or until the top is golden.
Remove from the oven immediately and pour syrup over hot baklava. Let cool completely.
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