1-2-3 Baklava Recipe

In the mood for baklava? Can't find anything local? If you can spot phyllo dough in the freezer section at your grocery store, this is an easy recipe to satisfy that sweet tooth.

Recipe

1lb of pistachios

1 pack of 16 oz phyllo dough

1/2 cup of melted butter

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of all spice

For the syrup

1 cup of water

1 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of honey

1/8 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract

lemon zest

To save time, find pistachios already deshelled, but to save money, give yourself at least 30 minutes to get through a whole bag. There is something therapeutic about cracking a pistachio after pistachio, so it's not a terrible idea. Once all the shells are off, you will add your cinnamon and all-spice in a blender to create a crumble texture. 

I used a 9 x 9 round glass baking tray, but don't worry if you don't have the exact size. Whatever you have will work because you only need to layer it with phyllo, butter, and pistachios. Butter your baking tray generously. I had left the phyllo dough out to defrost while getting the nuts ready, but as soon as you take it out to start layering, make sure to have a wet paper towel or cloth covering it to keep it from drying out.  

Once the tray is buttered, start layering with a few sheets at the bottom. Use a brush to brush the dough with the melted butter, and then add your nuts. Continue until you start to run low, then add more layers for the top as last. It doesn't have to be a perfect number of phyllo dough layers, just enough to cover the previous layer of nuts. The top will have the most.

You want to cut in rows and then diagonally with a very sharp knife. 

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 50 minutes. As it's baking, set aside 20 minutes to make the syrup. 

Pour in 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar and stir until it starts to boil on medium heat. Lower the heat a little, and add your honey, vanilla extract, and lemon zest as you see fit; you may even prefer orange zest. 

Once out of the oven, remove the syrup from the heat. Wait a couple of minutes, and then pour it all over! Let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle more pistachio crumbles on top for fun, and enjoy!