⏳ Yield & Time

Yield: 12 servings

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 60 minutes

🍽 Ingredients

• 1 package (about 16 sheets) Phyllo dough
• 2 cups Walnuts or pistachios, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup + 1/4 cup Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
• 1 cup Honey
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1/2 cup Melted butter

📖 Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). It's always a good idea to preheat the oven before you start any baking, this is not optional.
2. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. You can use butter or cooking spray—whatever you prefer. I like using butter because it adds flavour!
3. Prepare the nut mixture: In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of finely chopped walnuts or pistachios with 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. If you forget the cinnamon, don't worry, it will be fine, it just adds a nice touch.
4. Make the syrup: In a saucepan, combine 1 cup of honey, 1/2 cup of water, and 1/4 cup of sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened. It should be nice and syrupy; you know it’s ready when it coats the back of a spoon. Set aside to cool completely. this step is very important!
5. Layering the phyllo: This is the most time-consuming part, but don't worry, it's worth it! Carefully work with 1 sheet of phyllo at a time. Lightly brush it with melted butter. Lay it in the prepared pan and repeat with another sheet until 8 layers are in the pan. Make sure to brush every layer! This should take a few minutes only, but it’s vital for a moist baklava.
6. Spread the nut mixture: Evenly distribute the nut mixture over the phyllo layers. Don't be shy with the nuts!
7. Layer more phyllo: Repeat steps 5 and 6 (brush with melted butter and lay down phyllo) until you have a total of 16 layers of phyllo. It's really important to make sure all those layers are buttered up—otherwise, you might end up with dry baklava! Yikes!
8. Cut into diamonds: Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the baklava into diamond shapes while it's still in the pan. This helps the syrup to penetrate evenly and makes serving easier. It's also super satisfying to cut the pastry before baking.
9. Bake: Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the baklava is golden brown and crisp. Keep an eye on it; it can burn quickly if the oven is too hot. Watch out! This is crucial for a perfect result.
10. Pour syrup: Immediately after removing the baklava from the oven, carefully pour the cooled honey syrup over the hot baklava. Make sure to distribute evenly across all of the pastries.
11. Cool and serve: Let the baklava cool completely in the pan before serving. Trust me on this one. Cutting it while it's still warm is the quickest way to disaster. Once completely cool, you can carefully lift it out of the pan and serve. Enjoy your delicious, homemade baklava!

📝 Notes

• Make sure your phyllo dough is completely thawed before use.
• You can adjust the sweetness to your liking by adding more or less sugar.
• Don't overbake the baklava; it should be golden brown, but not burnt!