Chef Chuck's Baklava

Baklava

Baklava is a sweet dessert, originated in Turkey during the 8th century. It was a simple bread dough with nuts and served with honey. The Greeks changed it by using dough much like the way we make it today. Baklava has many layers of phyllo and each layer is brushed with butter topped with healthy walnuts and sweet honey. Using the best ingredients insures that you will achieve a perfect piece of desirable sweetness. Different nuts can be used but walnuts is what I prefer. Walnuts are high in omega 3 known to be good for your heart. This dessert actually cures and improves in flavor as days go by! Enjoy

Baklava

4 cups walnuts chopped fine
1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

17 phyllo sheets cut in half
2 sticks butter melted and cooled

Syrup

1/2 cup water
1 cup honey
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl mix walnuts, sugar and cinnamon. When working with phyllo use 1 sheet at a time and keep the other sheets wrapped in a damp kitchen towel. Arrange 1 phyllo in a 13x9 pan brush with butter and top with 5 more layers, butter each layer then sprinkle 1/2 cup walnuts over phyllo then top with 2 more sheets of phyllo buttering each layer. Repeat layering with 1/2 cup nuts and 2 phyllo sheets till all mixture is used. Top baklava with remaining sheets then using a sharp knife carefully cut in 1 or 2 inch squares or make diagonal cuts for triangles. Reduce oven to 325 degrees and bake 40 minutes to 1 hour till golden brown.
Make syrup while baklava is baking.
In a saucepan bring water, honey, sugar and lemon juice to a boil stirring often, simmer for 5 minutes. Pour warm syrup over hot baklava and cool on a rack. Let baklava rest covered for 12 hours for flavors to develop. Then wrap and refrigerate.