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Mr. Economou’s Baklava

1- (1 lb.) package thawed phyllo dough

1 lb. melted butter (you might need more)

Syrup

3 cups water

3 cups granulated sugar

Juice of lemon

1/2 corn syrup or honey

Filling

Add to about 6 cups finely chopped walnuts:

1/2 cup sugar (or to taste)

1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg (or to taste)

1 - 2 T. cinnamon (or to taste)

In a heavy saucepan, heat sugar and water at a low boil for 10 minutes. Add lemon juice and corn syrup (this helps prevent the mixture from crystallizing). Remove from heat. Set aside.

Thoroughly butter a large, rectangular pan. Lay a sheet of phyllo pastry inside the pan. Let edges drape over pan. (Prevent the waiting leaves from drying out by covering with a towel.) Brush sheet with melted butter. Lay another phyllo sheet over the melted butter. Repeat this step for 10 more phyllo leaves, but each time you lay a new sheet down, alternate its position of the sheets in the pan, so the leaves left to drape over the pan’s edge are evenly distributed.

Dump about a 1/2-inch layer of the nut mixture over the phyllo-leaf stack.

Repeat the phyllo-butter steps for another 10 leaf layers or so.

Again, dump another 1/2-inch or so of the walnut mixture onto the phyllo-leaf stack.

Finally, deal with the phyllo leaves that are draped over the pan’s edge by lifting them up and folding them over and on the last nut mixture. (If you’ve ever folded a cloth diaper, it’s sort of like that. Fold the long sides in first, and then the short ends over the long pieces.)

The center won’t be covered, and you’ll end up with a window in the center of the baklava where the nuts will peek out.

Repeat the phyllo, butter mixture for another 10 sheets or so over the folded edges, but this time, do not let the leaves drape. Instead, take a paring knife and cut any excess edges so each sheet fits exactly and neatly over the baklava. (Lay the skinny, trimmed pieces over the center place where the nuts are showing, brushing each layer with butter.)

Try to get the last few layers of phyllo leaves to be perfect rectangles fitted into the pan.

Before baking, score the baklava into long, 2-inch-wide strips, through the bottom of the pan, but DO NOT cut all the way to the pan’s edge, or the ends will curl.

Then cut diagonally through each strip, making little diamonds. (Again, no cutting through from side to side.)

Bake in a 350-degree oven for 1 hour, or until very golden brown.

Immediately pour the cooled syrup mixture over the hot baklava.

Let sit for at least 4 hours before cutting. Do not cover with plastic wrap or refrigerate.

Happy holidays.

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