Bunny's Cookbook

Traditional Sweet Greek Baklava

Ingredients:

•    ⁠1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
•    ⁠14 oz chopped walnuts, some chopped very fine
•    ⁠2 1/2 sticks butter
•    ⁠2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
•    ⁠1 cup water
•    ⁠1 cup white sugar
•    ⁠1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
•    ⁠1/2 cup honey

Instructions:

1.    ⁠Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9×13 inch pan.

2.    ⁠Chop 14 oz walnuts and toss with 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Set aside.

3.    ⁠Unroll package of phyllo dough. You might need to trim the edges to fit your pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered.

4.    ⁠Sprinkle a handful of the walnut/cinnamon mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, and walnut mixture again, layering as you go. The final top layer should be about 6 – 8 sheets deep.

5.    ⁠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 cut across, and then make the diagonal cuts. It helps to rinse knife and finger every couple of cuts. That keeps the knife and your fingers from sticking to the top layer.

6.    ⁠Bake for about 40-50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.

7.    ⁠Make syrup while baklava is baking. Heat 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water until sugar is melted. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and 1/2 cup of honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently and keeping eye on pot to make sure it doesn't boil over.

8.    ⁠Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. You won't need all of the sauce. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. Store it in airtight containers so that it retains its crispiness.