Ingredients

• 1 pound (4 cups) blanched almonds or walnuts or a combination of both, finely chopped
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pound filo pastry
• 3 sticks (3/4 pound) unsalted butter, melted, for brushing filo

SYRUP

• 2 cups water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• A 2-inch strip of lemon rind
• 3/4 cup honey

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300f.

Combine nuts, sugar, and cinnamon. Keeping unused sheets covered with plastic wrap, place 8 sheets of filo pastry, one at a time, in the bottom of an 8 x 14 x 2-inch non stick pan, brushing each sheet with melted butter.

Sprinkle top sheet generously with 1/4 cup nut mixture and cover with 2 buttered filo sheets. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup nut mixture. Continue adding buttered filo sheets, sprinkling every second sheet with nut mixture, until all nut mixture is used. Place remaining filo sheets on top, buttering each sheet.

Cut Baklava into small diamond-shaped pieces with a sharp knife. Place a pan of water on the lowest shelf in oven. Place Baklava on the middle shelf above the water and bake for 2 to 2 and half hours, or until golden, making sure that the water pan is always full.

While Baklava is in the oven, prepare the syrup:

Combine in a saucepan water with all ingredients except the honey. Bring to the boil, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add honey, and simmer 5 minutes more. Remove lemon peel and cool.

Remove Baklava from oven and pour cool syrup over hot pastry.

Makes 30 to 36 pieces.