Baklava Recipe

Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

Lower heat and simmer gently for 8–10 minutes until slightly reduced.

Remove from heat; stir in honey and lemon juice (and orange zest and cloves if using). Let cool to room temperature while preparing baklava. Discard cloves before using syrup.

Pulse the walnuts, pistachios, and almonds in a food processor in short bursts until coarsely chopped — you want small chunks, not a powder.

Transfer to a bowl and stir in the ground cinnamon, cardamom (if using), and 1 tablespoon sugar. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

Prepare

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly brush a 9x13-inch (or similar) baking dish with melted butter.

Unroll the phyllo dough and keep it covered with a damp towel to prevent drying. Have the melted butter warm and ready.

Place one sheet of phyllo in the prepared pan and brush lightly with melted butter. Repeat, layering and buttering each sheet, until you have 6 sheets layered (top layer buttered).

Evenly spread about one-third of the nut mixture over the phyllo layer.

Continue layering: add 4–6 more phyllo sheets, buttering between each sheet, then another one-third of the nuts. Repeat once more (4–6 phyllo sheets, buttering between), then finish with the remaining phyllo sheets to reach about 8–10 top layers. Ensure each phyllo layer is brushed with butter.

Using a sharp knife, score the assembled baklava all the way to the bottom into diamond or square shapes. This helps the syrup penetrate and makes cutting easier after baking.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40–50 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and crisp. Rotate the pan halfway through baking for even browning.

Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately pour the cooled syrup evenly over the hot baklava, making sure to get syrup into the scored lines. The syrup should sizzle slightly on contact.

Allow the baklava to cool and absorb the syrup for at least 4 hours at room temperature, preferably overnight, before serving. This ensures the layers set and the syrup is fully absorbed.