Baklava

Baklava

1 lb finely chopped walnuts
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 pound phyllo dough
3 sticks unslated butter melted, for brushing phyllo

Syrup
2 cups water
3/4 sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
one 2 in strip lemon rind
3/4 cup honey


Preheat oven to 300
Combine nuts, sugar, and cinnamon
place eight sheets of phyllo, one at a time, on the bottom of 8x14x2 pan, brush each with butter (keep the rest of the dough covered as it dries out easily)
Sprinkle top sheet generously with 1/4 cup nut mix
Continue adding buttered phyllo sheets, sprinkling every second sheet with nut mixture until all the nut mixture is used up.
Place remaining phyllo on top buttering each sheet.
Cut into small diamond shape pieces

Place pan of water on lowest shelf in oven and the baklava on the middle shelf above the water and bake for 2 - 2 1/2 hours, or until golden
Make sure the water pan is always full

While the Baklava is cooking, prepare the syrup
Combine in saucepan all ingredients for syrup except the honey
Bring to boil and simmer for 15 mins, add honey and simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove lemon peel and cool.

Remove baklava from oven when ready and pour cooled syrup over it.