Baklava: Date Added: 12 Nov 2009
Listed in: Desserts / Desserts - Pies

Dough:

1 lb Strudel dough (or fillo leaves)
1 lb Butter, unsalted, well-melted (salted butter (or margarine) is not acceptable)

Filling:

1 lb Walnut meat, chopped medium-fine
1/4 c Sugar
1 t Vanilla (or use vanilla sugar)

Syrup:

4 c Sugar
2 c Water
1 t Lemon juice

Heat oven to 300 degrees F. to 325 degrees F. Make the syrup: Boil the water and sugar for 15 minutes. Add lemon juice, boil 10 more minutes, set aside to cool.

Make the filling: Mix all ingredients well. I prefer the walnuts fairly coarse; some people like them quite fine.

Build the Baklava: Cut the dough with scissors to the size of the tray. Handle the dough very carefully; do not press hard on it at any time. Cover with wax paper and damp towel. Take out one sheet of dough at a time and place it in the pan.

Brush the dough with melted butter between each layer. Continue until you have about 12 sheets buttered. Small and broken pieces of dough can be used in the center, but there must be butter between every two layers.

Spread walnut filling across the tray. Put on a sheet of dough, brush on butter and continue until all the dough is used up. Cut into diamond shapes: cut into quarters with cuts parallel to the long axis, then cut diagonally across.

Don't press hard! Bake for about 1 1/2 hour, until golden brown. Be careful not to burn the bottom or the walnuts, especially with a glass pan. Let cool on rack for 5 minutes. Add syrup which should have cooled to room temperature. Let cool for at least two hours before eating.

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