Middle Eastern Phyllo Nut Pastry (Printer-friendly)

Layers of buttery phyllo filled with walnuts, pistachios, and almonds, topped with sweet honey syrup.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pastry and Filling

01 - 18-20 sheets phyllo dough (approximately 14 ounces)
02 - 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
03 - 2 cups walnuts, finely chopped
04 - 1 cup pistachios, finely chopped
05 - 3/4 cup almonds, finely chopped
06 - 1/3 cup granulated sugar
07 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

→ Syrup

08 - 1 cup water
09 - 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
10 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
11 - 2 tablespoons honey
12 - 1 cinnamon stick
13 - 1 strip orange peel

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with melted butter.
02 - Combine chopped walnuts, pistachios, almonds, sugar, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly to distribute spices evenly.
03 - Unroll phyllo dough and keep covered with a damp kitchen towel to prevent drying out while working.
04 - Layer 8 sheets of phyllo in the prepared dish, brushing each sheet generously with melted butter before adding the next.
05 - Sprinkle approximately one-third of the nut mixture evenly over the phyllo base.
06 - Add 4 more sheets of phyllo, brushing each with butter. Spread half of the remaining nuts over the surface.
07 - Place 4 additional phyllo sheets, buttering each one. Sprinkle the final layer of nuts evenly across the dough.
08 - Finish with remaining phyllo sheets, brushing each layer with butter as you assemble.
09 - Using a sharp knife, cut the baklava completely through into diamond or square shapes before baking.
10 - Bake for 35-40 minutes until the pastry turns deep golden brown and appears crisp throughout.
11 - While baklava bakes, combine water, sugar, lemon juice, honey, cinnamon stick, and orange peel in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon and peel; let syrup cool slightly.
12 - Immediately pour warm syrup over the hot baklava as soon as it comes out of the oven. Allow to cool completely for several hours so pastry absorbs syrup fully before serving.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The contrast between shatter crisp layers and syrup soaked middle is pure magic
  • One batch feeds a crowd and keeps surprisingly well
  • The process becomes meditative once you find your rhythm
02 -
  • Cutting before baking is absolutely crucial or the pastry shatters into jagged pieces later
  • The syrup must be warm not piping hot when you pour it over the finished pastry
  • Room temperature butter spreads easier than cold and melts more evenly than too hot
03 -
  • Freeze unbaked baklava between layers of parchment for up to a month
  • A very sharp knife prevents dragging and tearing the delicate top layers

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