Baklava – Layered flaky phyllo pastry filled with crushed nuts, sweetened with honey syrup.

Serving Size: 20-24 Pieces; Prep Time: 30 minutes; Cook Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients for Baklava 1 (16 ounce) package thawed phyllo dough ¾  pound chopped nuts (I used a mix of pistachios and walnuts) 1 cup melted butter  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 cup water 1 cup white sugar  1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ cup honey Step 1: Initial Prep Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9×13 inch pan. Chop nuts coarsely or pulse a few times in a food processor. Do not grind them too finely as you want to have texture and crunch. Add cinnamon and mix well. Set aside.  Step 2: Prepare Phyllo Pastry Carefully unroll the thawed phyllo pastry and cut the whole stack in half to fit in the pan. Place the sheets in between two clean kitchen towels or damp paper towels. This will help keep the phyllo from drying and breaking. To assemble the baklava, take two sheet of phyllo and place it in the pan. You can also do a bit of trimming using a pair of kitchen shears. I prefer to just leave the ends as is. Brush the top of the phyllo sheet with the melted butter.  Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 4 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. Do not worry if the sheets crinkle up a bit. The top layer should be about 8 sheets deep. Using a good sharp knife, cut the pastry into diamond or squares. Bake 45-50 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden. Step 3: Prepare Syrup Once the baklava is in the oven boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Step 4:  Remove baklava from the oven and pour syrup over it. Garnish with any remaining nuts mixture(optional). Let it cool for at least 4 hours at room temperature to absorb the syrup. Storage:  Store baklava at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks this will keep the pastry crispy. Baklava can also be frozen and thawed overnight in the refrigerator.