Baklava Category: Desserts: Cake, cookies, mousse, puddings, etc.. Posted by: Slainte Quantity: (makes about 100 2 1/2 inch long diamonds)

Ingredients: Simmer a syrup of: 1/2 cup sugar or honey

3/4 cup water                 1/2 lemon

until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove the lemon. Add: 1 Tbsp. orange-blossom

                            water

and simmer a few minutes longer. Cool and refrigerate. Prepare a filling of: 1 1/2 cups coarsely

                            chopped nuts: almonds,
                            pistachios and walnuts in
                            any proportion
                            

sprinkle the nuts with a 2 Tbsp. sugar mixture of:

1 tsp. cinnamon               1/8 tsp. cloves

Melt

1 cup sweet butter          Have ready 24 sheets phyllo
                            dough (1 lb.)
                            

Instructions: Layer 12 of them on an 11 x 15 inch buttered baklava pan, brushing the sheets of dough with about half the butter. Spread the filling on top and cover with the remaining 12 similarly buttered sheets. Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut the top layered sheets and filling diagonally into 2 inch long diamonds, but leave the bottom few layers uncut. Bake about 30 minutes. Raise oven temperature to 475 F. and bake about 15 minutes longer or until golden. Remove from oven. Pour the refrigerated syrup over the top of puffed dough. Cut, using the same diagonals, through the uncut layer of dough and serve the diamond-shaped slices when cooled.

Comments: This is just the Joy of Cooking Baklava recipe…don't know how good it is.