Baklava

                                                      Baklava

1 16 oz. package phyllo dough
1 pound chopped nuts (chop fairly fine)
1 cup butter melted
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey

1. Preheat oven to 350*. Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 pan.

2. Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut  stack to fit pan. cover phyllo with a damp cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle with 3 tbls. of nut mix on top. Repeat. The top layer should be about 6-8 sheets deep.

3. 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 then make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 min. until baklava is golden and crisp.

4. Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 min. (you can add a little lemon zest to the sugar sauce if desired)

5. Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.

ready to go into oven

Ready to eat!