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baklava-simplywanderfull
simplywanderfull

Homemade Baklava Recipe

Discover the ultimate baklava recipe! Crispy phyllo, rich honey syrup, and layers of chopped nuts create a decadent Mediterranean dessert that's easier to make than you think.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Course: Dessert

Ingredients
  

Syrup Ingredients:
  • 1-1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup honey
  • 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1 inch piece of an orange peel
Nuts & Spices Ingredients:
  • 1 cup pistachios
  • 1 cup walnuts halves and pieces
  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
For The Phyllo And Butter:
  • 3 sticks unsalted butter melted
  • 1 pkg. phyllo dough #2 thickness

Method
 

How To Prepare The Syrup
  1. Combine the sugar, honey, water, lemon juice, and orange peel in a saucepan.
  2. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes.
  3. Remove from the heat and let cool. Discard the orange peel.
How To Prepare The Nuts
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a small food processor, pulse the pistachios and walnuts into a fine grind.
  3. In a bowl, mix together the pistachios, walnuts, graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, and kosher salt.
Assembling The Baklava
  1. Thaw the phyllo dough according to package instructions.
  2. Layer the phyllo dough in a 9x13 inch baking dish, brushing each layer with melted butter.
  3. Start out by place 8 sheets, each brushed with butter. This is your base layer.
  4. Next, spread half of the nut mixture evenly over the base layer of phyllo.
  5. Add 4 sheets of phyllo on top of the nut mixture being sure to brush each layer with butter.
  6. Spread the rest of the nut mixture over this layer of phyllo.
  7. Add the rest of the sheets of phyllo on top of this layer being sure to butter each layer in between.
  8. Now its time to cut the baklava into diamond shape pieces (see video below for an example), cutting all the way through to the bottom of the dish.
  9. Bake the baklava in the preheated oven for about 45-50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the phyllo is crispy.
  10. Remove the baklava fro the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes.
  11. Drizzle the cooled syrup evenly over the warm baklava.
  12. Let the baklava cool for approximately 6 hours before serving to allow the syrup to marinate.