Baklava is traditionally made with walnuts, almonds, or pistachios. The recipe is the exact same, whichever nut you choose. I love to use pecans, which are local to North Carolina, and work beautifully in this recipe. Think Greek style pecan pie!
Our family recipe uses extra virgin olive oil instead butter. While baking a sweet dish with olive oil may seem odd, it tastes great when using ingredients with flavors such as nuts, spices, and honey, not to mention the health benefits. However, if you’re not a fan of using olive oil, simply substitute the ingredient with melted butter.
Ingredients
- 1 pound walnuts
- 1 pound room temperature phyllo dough
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 36 cloves
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1.5 cup water
Preparation
For the baklava
- Preheat the over to 350 degrees
- While the oven is preheating, grind the nuts and mix with the spices in a large bowl
- Unwrap and unroll the phyllo dough. You will need to work relatively quickly with the dough as it starts to dry and become brittle once unwrapped.
- Choose a baking pan that is large enough for the phyllo dough to lay flat
- Brush the pan with olive oil
- Layer down your first sheet of phyllo and brush gently with olive oil
- Layer the second sheet of phyllo on top of the first one and brush with olive oil
- Repeat this process for eight phyllo sheets
- Sprinkle a quarter of your nuts over the first eight layered phyllo sheet
- Layer and oil an additional eight phyllo sheets and sprinkle another quarter of the ground nuts over the phyllo
- Repeat this process until you’ve used up all of the ground nuts and phyllo
- 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
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40 minutes until golden brown
For the syrup
- 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
