• 24 pastry sheets (filo pastry)
• ½ pkg of sweet butter or ghee or half filling: 1 lb. pistachios
• ½ c sugar
• Butter
• 1 t cinnamon
• Optional - 1t cloves
• 1t rose water
• Or 1 lb. chopped walnuts
• 1 t cloves
• ½ c sugar
• Cinnamon
• ½ t rose water and ½ t orange blossom water.
Syrup:
• 2 c sugar to 1 c water.
• Cook over low flame.
• When thickens, remove from fire, add lemon juice, and orange blossom.
Preparation
• Prepare filling. Set aside, (do not add cloves or cinnamon to pistachio filling).
• In baking dish greased with butter, place a sheet of filo paper and
brush with softened butter - do same for each of the 12 filo sheets.
• Then, cover with nut mixture over entire surface.
• Repeat buttering 12 more layers of filo paper.
• Then cut into all layers to form a pattern of diamond shape pieces.
• Bake in slow oven – 250 degrees – until golden brown.
• Remove from oven and pour syrup all over the Baklawa. Serve when cool.
Additional Notes
Its a good idea to have multiple pans going at one time to make the cook ... otherwise the 2 hours could turn into a half a day. :)
