| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 9 hr 55 min |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 28 pieces |
Ingredients
- 8 cups chopped walnuts
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup ground cinnamon
- 2 pounds unsalted clarified butter, melted
- Two 8-ounce boxes filo dough (18 to 20 sheets per box), thawed
- 4 cups sugar
- 4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- Peel of 1 whole orange
- 4 cups honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- For the nut mixture: Combine walnuts, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Mix until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated, then set aside.
- For the filo: Brush an 18-by-13-inch baking dish with clarified butter, then lay out 12 sheets filo dough in the baking dish, brushing clarified butter between each. Sprinkle a third of the nut mixture on top. Layer 4 more sheets of the filo dough on top, brush with butter and add another third of the nut mixture. Layer again with 4 more sheets of the filo dough, brush with melted butter and add the remaining nut mixture. Cover with 10 filo dough sheets, brushing clarified butter between each.
- Use a knife to score the top of the filo dough into a diagonal crosshatch and bake for 1 hour. Let cool slightly.
- For the baking syrup: Bring sugar and 4 cups water to a boil in a pot. Add lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon sticks and orange peel and stir. Pour in honey and turn heat down low to simmer, then simmer for 10 minutes.
- Pour syrup over the top of the baklava. Let sit overnight at room temperature before serving.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 28 servings |
| Calories | 872 |
| Total Fat | 55 g |
| Saturated Fat | 22 g |
| Carbohydrates | 98 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 84 g |
| Protein | 7 g |
| Cholesterol | 83 mg |
| Sodium | 82 mg |