BAKLAVA

Baklava

clarify the butter and make the sugar syrup ahead of time so everything is ready to go
1 package phyllo dough, defrosted
3 sticks butter

Syrup:
2 cups sugar
1½ cups water
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. corn syrup

Filling:
1 10-oz. bag finely diced walnuts (2½ cups)
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cardamom

Melt butter. Skim foam off the top and discard. Pour off the pure butter into a clean container, stopping short of the cloudy white stuff at the bottom. Discard the white solids, and set the yellow clarified butter aside.

Place sugar, water, lemon juice, and corn syrup in a small saucepan. Over medium-low heat, stir until sugar dissolves. Then increase heat, bring to boil, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cool, and chill in refrigerator.

Mix walnuts, sugar, and spices in a medium bowl and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Arrange stack of phyllo sheets on plastic wrap and cover with more plastic wrap. Set a slightly damp dishtowel on top of that. Using a pastry brush (or unused paint brush, 1-inch or wider), brush 9”x13” glass baking dish with melted butter.

Place one sheet in the bottom of the dish and brush with butter. Repeat this process until you have 12 layers in the dish. Spread half the walnut mixture evenly over the dough. Add 8 more buttered phyllo sheets. Spread the remainder of the walnut mixture. Top with 12 more buttered layers.

With a sharp knife, carefully cut diamond shapes all the way through the layers by cutting diagonally across one way, and then diagonally across in the other direction. Pour any remaining butter over the top. Bake for 30 minutes. Then lower oven to 300ºF and continue baking for 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes. Pour cold syrup evenly over warm pastry. Let cool completely before serving. Store at room temperature.