Walnut Baklava

3/23/2010

2 pounds phyllo dough

1 pound sweet butter, melted

3 cups walnuts, ground

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

24 whole cloves

For the Syrup:

4 cups water

2 cups sugar

1 medium cinnamon stick

1/2 cup honey

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Rind of 1 orange

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon in bowl. With a soft pastry brush, brush bottom of 9-by-13-inch pan with melted butter. Place 6 phyllo sheets in bottom of pan and brush butter between each. Phyllo sheets will extend up sides of pan.

Sprinkle walnut mixture on buttered phyllo. Layer 2 sheets of phyllo over walnut mixture and generously brush with butter. Repeat process until all nut mixture is used. Fold in any phyllo extending on sides before placing another 3 layers of phyllo. Butter each of the 3 layers with butter and brush top with butter. With a sharp knife, cut through all sheets of baklava to create diamond shapes. Place a clove in center of each piece. Bake 1 hour until golden brown.

To make the syrup: combine and boil water, sugar, and cinnamon stick until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and add honey, lemon juice, and orange peel. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Cool syrup. Pour cooled syrup over hot baklava.

Yields: 24 pieces