Baklava

Submitted by Mallory Watkins
Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter, melted (maybe a little more)
1 1/2 c. almonds, finely chopped
1 1/2 c. walnuts, finely chopped
1 t. cinnamon
11 to 16 sheets of phyllo
honey syrup (below)

Directions:
1. Grease 9-by-9 pan with some of the butter.
2. Combine nuts and cinnamon. Lay out one sheet of phyllo dough on clean surface. Brush with butter, fold in long edges (about 1/2 inch to an inch). Sprinkle with nut mixture.
3. Repeat step (2) until all the sheets of phyllo are used--or until you've lost your mind working with them--whichever comes first. After last sheet is used, fold all the layers in half, so your baklava is now doubled in thickness. Trim off excess on the three edges. Lay entirety in the pan. Cut into desired shape/sizes. (I do diamonds that are about 1 inch.) Brush top with butter.

Honey Syrup:
Ingredients:
1 c. water
1 scant c. sugar
2 t. lemon juice
4 cinnamon sticks
2/3 c. honey (maybe a little more)

Directions:
1. Pour honey and water into medium-sized saucepan. Stir well over high heat until sugar is dissolved.
2. Add lemon and cinnamon sticks. Cook on high until mixture thickens slightly. Turn off, add honey, stir well. Cool. (Syrup is not particularly thick, FYI.)
3. Pour over the baklava. Cover baklava with a clean cloth and leave to sit at least four hours to soak in the honey syrup. Bake at 325* F. until golden brown--about 45 minutes to an hour. Let cool before serving.

Tip: Phyllo dough is very, very thin and thus difficult to work with. It helps to keep the dough you are not currently working with covered with a cloth; it keeps the moisture in and makes it much more friendly. Still, be careful pulling the sheets apart from one another as they will stick at random spots and tear. Tightly wrap any left over dough and keep in the freezer.