Deep-dish Baklava

Total Time: 3 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• 3 cups finely chopped walnuts
• 2 cups finely chopped almonds
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 lbs phyllo dough (seventy-five 9 x 13 inch sheets)
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, melted
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups mild honey
• 2 cups water
• lemon peel (one 6-inch strip)
• 1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
• 1 cinnamon stick

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350°.
• 2 lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 13 x 9 inch metal baking pan with melted butter.
• 3 pastry: in a small bowl, combine the walnuts, almonds, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves; set aside.
• 4 on a clean work surface, lay flat 1 sheet of phyllo and brush it lightly with melted butter.
• 5 layer 7 more sheets of phyllo over the first, buttering each one.
• 6 carefully lay this stack of butter phyllo in the prepared pan.
• 7 sprinkle evenly with 1 cup of the nut mixture.
• 8 layer together 8 more sheets of phyllo, buttering each sheet, and lay this stack over the first layer of nuts.
• 9 sprinkle the second stack of phyllo sheets with another 1 cup of the nut mixture.
• 10 repeat this process until there are 5 stacks of buttered phyllo (8 sheets in each stack) separated by and ending with a layer of nut mixture (1 cup for each of 5 layers).
• 11 on a flat work surface, prepare the top of the pastry by layering together 35 sheets of phyllo dough, buttering each sheet.
• 12 carefully place this stack of layered phyllo over the last layer of nuts in the pan.
• 13 the pan should be completely full of pastry.
• 14 with a sharp knife, score the baklava into square or diamond-shape pieces by cutting through just the top layers of phyllo dough.
• 15 bake until crisp throughout and the top layers are golden brown, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• 16 while the baklava is baking, make the honey syrup: combine all the syrup ingredients in a large stockpot and bring the syrup to a boil over med-high heat.
• 17 decrease heat to medium and simmer until the mixture is the consistency of thick maple syrup, about 10 minutes.
• 18 remove the syrup from the heat and let cool slightly.
• 19 as soon as the baklava comes out of the oven, spoon the slightly warm syrup over the pastry.
• 20 let the baklava cool completely before cutting the scored pieces completely.
• 21 don't be nervous if the baklava seems to be swimming in the syrup initially.
• 22 as the pastry cools, the syrup is absorbed into the layers.
• 23 it is very important to allow the baklava to cool completely, giving the syrup plenty of time to ease into the pastry layers and give the baklava its wonderful gooey-crisp texture.
• 24 baklava will keep, covered, for 2 days at room temperature or 4 days refrigerated.