Pistachio & Pecan Baklava
Pistachio & Pecan Baklava
Ingredients
1 package phyllo dough (two rolls)
1 cup pistachios
1 cup pecans
2 sticks butter, melted
3 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
3 tbsp sugar
For the syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick
5 whole cloves
Directions
Follow thawing instructions on phyllo dough package.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
Finely chop the pecans and pistachios separately. (I use a blender to chop but you can also place nuts in plastic bag and chop with a rolling pin). Set aside some of the chopped pistachios to garnish.
In a medium bowl, mix together the chopped nuts (minus the ones for garnish), ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and sugar in a medium bowl.
Once thawed, unroll one roll of phyllo dough. Cover with a damp paper towel to prevent sheets from drying out.
Place one sheet of phyllo in the prepared baking dish.
Melt the butter. Brush the top of the sheet that’s in the pan with butter. Place another sheet of phyllo dough on top of that and brush with more butter. Repeat this process with the whole roll, making sure to cover the phyllo sheets that are set aside with the damp towel.
Next, add the chopped nut mixture and spread in an even layer.
Unroll the second roll of phyllo and, again, cover with a damp towel. Butter one sheet of phyllo and place the butter side down on the chopped nuts. Butter the top of that sheet. Place another sheet, butter the top, and repeat this process with the rest of the sheets making sure to butter the top of the last sheet.
Using a good knife, cut it into squares.
Bake for about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, make the syrup by combining all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 30 minutes. Let syrup cool. Remove cinnamon stick and cloves.
As soon as the baklava is done baking, pour the syrup on top. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Cut again. Garnish the top of each square with the remaining chopped pistachios!
