Baklava

About a week or so ago I attended a friend of mine's baby shower which was lovely in itself but during the shower, there was home made Baklava as of the many desserts. This was the most delicious, fresh and crispy Baklava I think I have EVER had. It inspired me to try to make Baklava for myself... I found a recipe and made a few changes to it... Et voila... Perfect Baklava that tastes better than ANYTHING from the store :)

 Ingredients 

1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
1 pound (approx. 453 grams) of chopped nuts (I used walnuts & pecans)
1 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1-1/2 cups water
1-1/2 cups white sugar
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 of a cup honey

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.  

Toast Nuts at 350F for 10 mins. 

Make the Baklava sauce: Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.Once finished, cool in the refrigerator until ready to use. 

Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon (I chopped the nuts using the food processor). Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep. 

Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp. 

Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.   

Baklava is always a crowd pleaser and GREAT for any type of event!! 

Pure deliciousness...