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BAKLAVA
1 lb pkg prepared phyllo- or strudel- pastry leaves (12x15 inch)
1 cup finely chopped or ground walnuts
1 cup finely chopped or ground blanched almonds
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 1/2 cups sweet butter, melted
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup honey
1-inch cinnamon stick
4 lemon slices
4 orange slices
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Let pastry leaves warm to room
temperature, as the label directs. In small bowl, mix walnuts,
almonds, 1/2 cup sugar, the ground cinnamon, and cloves. Place 2
leaves of phyllo pastry in a 15-1/2" x 10-1/2"x1" jellyroll pan;
brush top leaf with melted butter. Repeat, stacking 14 leaves in
all and buttering every other leaf. (Keep rest of pastry leaves
covered with damp paper towels, to prevent drying out.) Sprinkle
top with one third of nut mixture. Add 6 more leaves, brushing
every other one with butter. Add another layer of nuts and then
more phyllo brushed with butter. Continue until nuts and phyllo
are used. Stack any remaining pastry leaves on top, brushing every
other one with remaining melted butter and buttering top leaf.
Bake 60 minutes. Turn off heat, and let baklava remain in oven 60
minutes longer. Meanwhile make syrup: In small saucepan, combine
sugar, honey, cinnamon stick, lemon and orange slices, and 1 3/4
cup water. Bring to boiling, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes. Strain. As soon as
baklava is removed from oven, cut into diamond-shaped pieces. (On
long side, make 9 crosswise cuts, at 1-1/2" intervals. Then, starting
at one corner, make 11 cuts on diagonal, at 1-1/2" intervals, to
form diamonds.) Pour syrup over top. Cool in pan on wire rack 2
hours.
Makes about 40 pieces.
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Baklava 08