- 1 pound pecans
- 1 pound thawed phyllo dough
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground clove
- 36 whole cloves
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup honey (optional)*
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1.5 cups water
* If opting to not use honey, substitute with 1 additional cup of sugar
Time - 7 hours and 10 minutes (includes 6 hours inactive time)
- Preparation - 30 minutes
- Baking (350 degrees) - 40 minutes
Preparation
- For this recipe, I opted to grind fresh cinnamon and clove. If you have the time and inclination, give it a try. The smells of freshly ground spices add to the fun and sensory experience of preparing this dish as well as flavor
- To grate the cinnamon use a microplane grater
- Once you have grated 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, place it in a mortar with one whole clove and grind with a pestle until the consistency of powder
- Grind the pecans, combine with the spices in a large bowl, and set aside
- Preheat the oven at 350 degrees
- Open and unroll the thawed phyllo. Once unrolled, the dough will begin to dry, to slow the drying process, cover the dough with a damp cloth
- Cut the phyllo to fit the pan
- Brush the pan with olive oil
- Layer 7-8 sheets of phyllo, brushing each sheet with olive oil before layering the next one
- If you have excess dough on the sides of the pan, cut with a sharp knife
- Pour half of the pecans and spread evenly in the pan
- Layer 3 more sheets of phyllo on top of the pecans, brushing each sheet with olive oil
- Pour the remaining pecans on top of the phyllo and spread evenly
- Layer the remaining sheets of phyllo, again, brushing each sheet with olive oil
- Using a sharp knife, cut diagonally across the pan. Begin with the center cut making 2-3 additional diagonal cuts on the left and right of the center cut
- Repeat the process in the opposing diagonal, forming a triangle and diamond pattern
- Place a whole clove in the center of each piece and brush the top of each clove with a touch of olive oil (remove the clove when eating the baklava)
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes until golden brown
- While the baklava is baking, prepare the syrup by combining the sugar, honey, lemon and water in a pot and bring to a boil
- Once the syrup reaches a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on the syrup while it is cooking. If too hot, the syrup will boil over
- Once the baklava is baked, slowly pour the syrup all over the warm baklava and let sit uncovered for a minimum of 6 hours (most recommend overnight)
- When storing the baklava, cover it so that it does not dry out. It is best stored at room temperature or can be frozen and enjoyed at a later date