Greek Baklava Recipe

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9×13 inch baking pan.

Toss together the chopped nuts and cinnamon. Set aside.

Unroll phyllo dough. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in the pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered.

Sprinkle 2 – 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 – 8 sheets deep.

Using a sharp knife, cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan.

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

Make syrup while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add honey, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. Eat room temperature or cold.