Baklava (Patreon)

Hey all! I hope April is finding everyone doing well and hopefully this recipe for Baklava will make for a sweet start to the month. Thanks as always for your support!

Baklava Triangles (Hand pies)

Ingredients:

• 1 package phyllo dough, thawed
• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 2 cups chopped nuts (pistachio, walnut, cashew, etc.)
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• A pinch of nutmeg

Sugar Syrup:

• 1 ½ cups honey
• ½ cup water
• 1 lemon, juice and peel
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 6 cloves
• A splash of rose water

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 380°F (190°C).
2. In a saucepan, boil and simmer sugar syrup ingredients together for 10 minutes, then let it cool and set aside.
3. Cut the phyllo dough into ⅓ strips and make sure to cover the dough you’re not working with since they dry out quickly.
4. Take 2 layers of phyllo strips and brush the surface with melted butter.
5. Put down 1 or 2 tablespoons of chopped nuts on one end of the phyllo strip.
6. Grab one bottom corner of the strip and bring it over the nuts to make a 90-degree triangle.
7. Keep folding the strip over itself in the triangle shape until it makes a triangle nut pocket.
8. Set it on a baking sheet and brush the surface with butter.
9. Bake for 35 minutes until golden brown.
10. While it's still hot from the oven, pour the sugar syrup over the baklava evenly.
11. Let the syrup penetrate the baklava at room temperature for preferably 4-6 hours, or overnight for best results.
12. Make sure to pour syrup over the baklava while it’s still hot. This will prevent the pastry from getting soggy.

Note: The baklava can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.