Crazy Girl's Kitchen

Get ready:

• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 18 ounces raw walnuts
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 pound phyllo dough, thawed
• 8 ounces clarified unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cups honey
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 orange extract

Now let’s play:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and walnuts into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, but not pasty or powdery, approximately 15 quick pulses. Set aside.

Trim the sheets of phyllo to fit the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch metal pan. Mix melted butter with vanilla extract. Brush the bottom and sides of the pan with butter mix; lay down a sheet of phyllo and brush with butter mix. Repeat this step 9 more times for a total of 10 sheets of phyllo. Top with 1/3 of the nut mixture and spread thinly. Layer 6 more sheets of phyllo with butter mix in between each of them, followed by another third of the nuts. Repeat with another 6 sheets of phyllo, butter mix, and remaining nuts. Top with 8 sheets of phyllo brushing with butter mix in between each sheet. Brush the top generously with butter mix. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and cut into 28 squares. Return pan to the oven and continue to bake for another 30 minutes. Remove pan from the oven, place on a cooling rack, and cool for 2 hours before adding the syrup.

Make the syrup during the last 30 minutes of cooling. Combine the honey, water, sugar, cinnamon and orange extract in a saucepan and set over high heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar has dissolved. Once boiling, boil for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.

After the baklava has cooled for 2 hours, re-cut the entire pan following the same lines as before. Pour the hot syrup evenly over the top of the baklava, allowing it to run into the cuts and around the edges of the pan. Allow the pan to sit, uncovered until completely cool. Cover and store at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to overnight before serving. Store, covered, at room temperature for up to 5 days.

After-play thoughts:

I adopted it from Alton Brown Good Eats Baklava recipe and made it more simple but not less yummy.