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I tried to make your recipe and it came out perfect. Your step to step instructions are of great help and easy to follow. Do you have a baking cookbook on sale at the bookstore. I would like to keep one. You are an amazing. Thank you.

I don’t have one yet but it is one of my life’s goals

I made this and it is in the oven. The aroma is wonderful! Hopefully next time I can figure out how to use less butter. I ended up using 3 and 1/2 sticks instead of just 2.

Hi Rhoda, it all depends on how generously you brush on the butter. Even though extra butter won’t ruin the dish (it will probably taste pretty amazing!), but you might try brushing it a little lighter next time

Hi Felicia, we froze it after it was baked then thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature and serve

Thanks! will it still be crispy?

Yes, it would be .

This was a great base recipe! I did have to alter it due to several food allergies, but my friends and I loved my version of your baklava. I subbed almonds and pine nuts for walnuts (next time, almonds and cashews). I also subbed maple syrup for honey. I added vanilla for flavor. I left half of the recipe out, and half in the fridge. I prefer the texture and flavor of the cold ones over the countertop version. They hold together better for me. I think I might also add a cinnamon stick to the syrup as it cooks to add even more flavor. I can’t wait to make this again!

Thank you so much for sharing your great review and your substitutions. I’m sure this will help someone else who may have food allergies. You’re awesome!

Mine started burning at the bottom I had to pull it out around 45 min, and half of it was ruined.. What did I do wrong? Reply

Hi Kristina, did you bake in the center of the oven, also did you make sure to use a regular conventional oven (not convection)? This is the first report of the bottom burning so I wonder if something is going on with your oven?

I made this yesterday, and it turned out so good! Amazing, so delicious. Thank you Natasha for a great recipe.

You are very welcome Alena and thank you for the nice review

Sounds great and Im looking forward to making this at the weekend. One question, when cutting the pastry, do I cut all the way through to form individual diamonds?

Hi Terry, great question! Yes, cut all the way through the pastry

Brilliant thank you, I will let you know how I get on!

I made this last night and am absolutely thrilled with how it turned out. I had never made Baklava before and was a little skeptical at how it might turn out. The instructions were really helpful especially for someone who had never worked with phyllo pastry before. All of our tips were really helpful and I will be sure to make this one again!! Thanks Natasha!!

Awww that’s the best! Wendy, thank you so much for sharing that with me :). I’m all smiles

Turned out amazing!!! Thank you so much for the recipe. I am constantly on your site checking for new recipes, videos are so helpful. Everything is soo yummy. Keep up the work!

I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you so much for the wonderful review!

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This honey baklava is flaky, crisp and tender and I love that it isn’t overly sweet. It’s basically a party in your mouth. I am a huge fan of baklava and this is the BEST baklava recipe I have ever tried. Hands down. You will love the hint of mellow lemony flavor which offsets the sweetness and compliments the cinnamon. It’s truly delicious. Store-bought baklava has nothing on this and trust me, I’ve been around the block when shopping for baklava. This baklava recipe is well loved wherever it goes and it is definitely a reader and family favorite!

Watch Baklava Video Tutorial:

Any baklava is a little tedious to make, but I’ve shared all of my best tips and advise to ensure you are successful in making yours. You will love that this recipe can be made several days in advance of your shindig and keeps beautifully at room temperature for at least a week.

Ingredients for Baklava Recipe:

1 (16 oz) pkg phyllo dough; thawed according to package instructions

2 1/2 sticks (10 oz or 1 1/4 cups) melted unsalted Butter

1 lb (about 4 cups or 3 3/4 cups chopped) walnuts, finely chopped

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup granulated sugar

2 Tbsp lemon juice (juice of 1/2 lemon?)

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup honey

Melted chocolate chips & chopped walnuts for garnish, optional

How To Make Baklava:

1. Thaw phyllo dough according to package instructions (this is best done overnight in the fridge, then place it on the counter for 1 hour before starting your recipe to bring it to room temp).

2. Trim phyllo dough to fit your baking sheet. My phyllo dough package had 2 rolls with a total of 40 sheets that measured 9×14 so I had to trim them slightly. You can trim one stack at a time then cover with a damp towel to keep from drying out.

3. Butter the bottom and sides of a 13×9 non-stick baking pan.

Start with your honey sauce (which will need time to cool as your baklava bakes).

1. In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup honey, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, and 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil over med/high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then reduce heat to med/low and boil an additional 4 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and let syrup cool while preparing baklava

How to Assemble Baklava:

Preheat Oven to 325˚F.

1. Pulse walnuts about 10 times in a food processor until coarsley ground/ finely chopped. In a medium bowl, stir together: 4 cups finely chopped walnuts and 1 tsp cinnamon

2. Place 10 phyllo sheets into baking pan one at a time, brushing each sheet with butter once it’s in the pan before adding the next (i.e. place phyllo sheet into pan, brush the top with butter, place next phyllo sheet in pan, butter the top, etc. etc.). Keep remaining phyllo covered with a damp towel at all times. Spread about 1/5 of nut mixture (about 3/4 cup) over phyllo dough.

3. Add 5 buttered sheets of phyllo, then another layer of nuts. Repeat x 4. Finish off with 10 layers of buttered phyllo sheets. Brush the very top with butter.

Here’s the order:

10 buttered phyllo sheets, 3/4 cup nut mixture,

5 buttered phyllo sheets, 3/4 cup nut mixture,

5 buttered phyllo sheets, 3/4 cup nut mixture,

5 buttered phyllo sheets, 3/4 cup nut mixture,

5 buttered phyllo sheets, 3/4 cup nut mixture

10 buttered phyllo sheets and butter the top.

4. Cut pastry into 1 1/2\u2033 wide strips, then cut diagonally to form diamond shapes. Bake at 325˚F for 1 hour and 15 min or until tops are golden brown

5. Remove from oven and immediately spoon the cooled syrup evenly over the hot baklava (you’ll hear it sizzle). This will ensure that it stays crisp rather than soggy. Let baklava cool completely, uncovered and at room temperature

Tip: For best results, let baklava sit 4-6 hours or overnight at room temperature for the syrup to penetrate and soften the layers. Garnish baklava with finely chopped nuts or drizzle with melted chocolate. Store at room temp, covered with a tea towel for 1 to 2 weeks.

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Baklava Recipe

Ingredients

1 (16 oz) pkg phyllo dough; thawed by package instructions

2½ sticks (10 oz or 1¼ cups) unsalted butter, melted

1 lb (about 4 cups) walnuts, finely chopped

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup granulated sugar

2 Tbsp lemon juice (juice of ½ lemon)

¾ cup water

½ cup honey

Melted chocolate chips & chopped walnuts for garnish, optional

Instructions

Prep:

Thaw phyllo dough by package instructions (this is best done overnight in the fridge, then place it on the counter for 1 hr before starting your recipe to bring it to room temp).

Trim phyllo dough to fit your baking dish. My phyllo package had 2 rolls with a total of 40 sheets that measured 9x14 so I had to trim them slightly. You can trim one stack at a time then cover with a damp towel to keep from drying out.

Butter the bottom and sides of a 13x9 non-stick baking pan.

Start with your honey sauce (which needs time to cool as baklava bakes).

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar, ½ cup honey, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, and ¾ cup water. Bring to a boil over med/high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then reduce heat to med/low and boil additional 4 min without stirring. Remove from heat and let syrup cool while preparing baklava.

How to make Baklava: Preheat Oven to 325˚F.

Pulse walnuts 10 times in a food process or until coarsely ground/ finely chopped. In a medium bowl, stir together: 4 cups finely chopped walnuts and 1 tsp cinnamon.

Place 10 phyllo sheets into baking pan one at a time, brushing each sheet with butter once it's in the pan before adding the next (i.e. place phyllo sheet into pan, brush the top with butter, place next phyllo sheet in pan, butter the top, etc. etc.). Keep remaining phyllo covered with a damp towel at all times. Spread about ⅕ of nut mixture (about ¾ cup) over phyllo dough.

Add 5 buttered sheets of phyllo, then another layer of nuts. Repeat x 4. Finish off with 10 layers of buttered phyllo sheets. Brush the very top with butter.

Cut pastry into 1½\" wide strips, then cut diagonally to form diamond shapes. Bake at 325˚F for 1 hour and 15 min or until tops are golden brown.

Remove from oven and immediately spoon cooled syrup evenly over the hot baklava (you'll hear it sizzle). This will ensure that it stays crisp rather than soggy. Let baklava cool completely, uncovered and at room temp. For best results, let baklava sit 4-6 hours or overnight at room temperature for the syrup to penetrate and soften the layers. Garnish baklava with finely chopped nuts or drizzle with melted chocolate. Store at room temp, covered with a tea towel for 1 to 2 weeks.

Notes

Here's the order of the Baklava Layers:

10 buttered phyllo sheets, ¾ cup nut mixture,

5 buttered phyllo sheets, ¾ cup nut mixture,

5 buttered phyllo sheets, ¾ cup nut mixture,

5 buttered phyllo sheets, ¾ cup nut mixture,

5 buttered phyllo sheets, ¾ cup nut mixture

10 buttered phyllo sheets and butter the top.

♥ FAVORITE THINGS ♥

Shown in this post: (nope, no one paid us to write this; just stuff we love):

* Also great for rectangular cakes, this Cuisinart 9×13 non-stick cake pan

* Wusthof Cooks knife – an essential knife for any cook & can last a lifetime

* This Zwilling sauce pan distributes heat evenly & handle is designed to stay cool.

* A good food processor like this Cuisinart 11-cup pro can cut your prep time in half

What are YOU cooking up for Christmas?

Original article and pictures take http://natashaskitchen.com/2014/12/21/baklava-recipe/ site