posted by pepe85323 11-16-102 6:18 PM
Baklava
4 cup finely ground walnuts, almonds or pistachios
11/2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 lb filo pastry sheets
1 lb butter, melted
11/2 cups water
11/2 cups sugar
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 300o. Butter the bottom of a 15x11/2 inch jelly-roll pan.
In a large bowl, combine the walnuts, 11/2 cups of sugar and the cinnamon. Lay 1 filo sheet in the pan, brush with the melted butter. Repeat this until half the filos have been used. Sprinkle with the walnut mixture to make an even layer of filling. Lay a filo sheet over walnut mixture and proceed as before until all the filos have been used.
Using a very sharp knife, cut halfway through the layers of filo, to the walnut layer, in a diamond pattern. Make the cuts about 11/4 inch apart. Bake in preheated oven about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until golden brown.
While baking, in a medium saucepan, heat the water and 11/2 cups of sugar over medium heat to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, remove from heat and cool slightly. Spoon the syrup over the baklava. Let stand at room temperature for at least 4 hours to allow it to absorb the syrup before cutting through the bottom layer.