For years, I made this special treat for my great-niece and great-nephew, my sister Leslie’s grandkids, for Thanksgiving when they came to LA. We cooked up the syrup and constructed this delicious baklava together. This recipe calls for regular sugar, but I have added my tried and true honey and maple sugar ingredients in parentheses if you’d like to try it for variety. I can guarantee the baklava with my ingredients since this is a family favorite; however, I’m certain the regular white sugar recipe is just as good.

This dessert is perfect for the holidays. It is not only delicious but also beautiful. It’s also not nearly as difficult as you might think to make.

Please let me know if you try it. I always enjoy hearing how your efforts turn out.

Baklava with Lemon-Honey Syrup

Syrup

• 1 cup sugar (I use maple sugar)
• 1/2 cup honey, preferably clover
• 2 peeled strips of lemon zest (each 2 inches long), plus 2 teaspoons of fresh juice
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup (I use agave syrup)
• 2 cinnamon sticks

Filling

• 1/2 cup blanched almonds
• 1/2 cup shelled pistachios
• 1 cup walnut halves (I often only use walnuts instead of the nuts above, making it 2 cups of walnuts)
• 1/3 cup sugar (I use maple sugar here)
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 sticks (2 cups) of unsalted butter, melted (I often use butter-flavored non-stick spray which is faster and works well, though I know real butter would be much tastier.)
• 1 pound phyllo dough, thawed
• 30 whole cloves

Directions

• Step 1 Syrup: In a small saucepan, stir together sugar, honey, 3/4 cup water, zest and juice, corn syrup, and cinnamon sticks. Heat over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, and cook, without stirring, until syrup thickens slightly and registers 230 degrees on a candy thermometer. Let cool completely; discard zest and cinnamon sticks. (You should have about 1 1/2 cups.) Syrup can be made up to 1 day ahead and stored at room temperature.
• Step 2 Filling: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a food processor, finely grind all nuts. Add sugar, cinnamon, and salt; pulse just to combine. Transfer to a bowl.
• Step 3 Brush a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter. Trim phyllo sheets to just fit inside the baking dish (each about 8 1/2 by 12 1/2 inches). Lay phyllo flat on a work surface; cover it with a damp kitchen towel to prevent drying out. Place a sheet in the prepared dish; brush generously with melted butter. Repeat with 6 more phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter before laying down next. Spread 1 cup filling evenly over top, then top with 5 more phyllo sheets, buttering each layer. Spread 1 cup filling over top, followed by 5 more buttered phyllo sheets. Spread remaining filling over phyllo; finish with 7 buttered phyllo sheets.
• Step 4 Using a long, sharp knife, cut lengthwise all the way through layers at 2-inch intervals. Make diagonal cuts across strips to form 2-inch diamonds, again cutting all the way through layers. Pierce each diamond with a whole clove.
• Step 5 Using your fingers, lightly sprinkle the top of the pastry with cold water (to prevent curling). Bake, rotating dish once until baklava is deep golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes.
• Remove from oven and recut through all lines. Pour syrup over top, saturating fully; let cool at least 4 hours before serving. Baklava can be covered with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature up to 1 week.