Greek Baklava

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and butter a large baking dish; make sure your Phyllo pastry sheets are fully thawed and covered with a damp towel so they don’t dry out.

Melt the Unsalted butter in a small saucepan or microwave and set aside for brushing.

Pulse or finely chop the Walnuts in a food processor (or chop by hand) until crumbly but still slightly coarse.

In a bowl, combine the chopped walnuts with a few tablespoons of Granulated sugar, a teaspoon of Ground cinnamon, a pinch of Ground cloves, and a small pinch of Salt; mix well to make the spiced nut filling.

Brush a sheet of phyllo with melted butter and lay it in the prepared dish; repeat, layering about 6–8 brushed sheets to form the bottom crust.

Spread a thin, even layer of the walnut mixture over the phyllo, then cover with another 3–4 buttered phyllo sheets; continue layering nuts and buttered phyllo, finishing with about 6–8 sheets on top. Brush the top layer generously with butter.

Using a sharp knife, score the assembled baklava into diamonds or squares all the way through to the bottom so the syrup can penetrate later.

Bake until the top is deeply golden and crisp, about 45–60 minutes depending on depth and oven, rotating once for even color.

While the baklava bakes, make the syrup: combine a cup or so of Granulated sugar with Water, Honey, a cinnamon stick (Cinnamon stick), several Whole cloves, and a strip of Lemon peel in a saucepan; bring to a gentle simmer and cook until slightly thickened, then remove from heat and stir in the Lemon juice. Let the syrup cool slightly and discard the whole spices and peel.

As soon as the baklava comes out of the oven, pour the warm syrup evenly over the hot pastry, making sure it soaks into the scored cuts; you should hear a gentle sizzle as syrup hits the hot pastry.

Allow the baklava to cool completely and rest for several hours or overnight so the syrup fully soaks in and the layers set. Serve at room temperature, cutting along the pre-scored lines.