Flaky Phyllo Pastry with Nuts (Printable)
Golden flaky phyllo layers filled with chopped nuts, baked until crisp, then soaked in sweet honey-cinnamon syrup for a luscious Middle Eastern treat.
# What You Need:
→ Pastry and Filling
01 - 18-20 sheets phyllo dough (approximately 14 oz)
02 - 2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
03 - 1 ¾ cups walnuts, finely chopped
04 - ¾ cup pistachios, finely chopped
05 - ⅔ cup almonds, finely chopped
06 - ⅓ cup granulated sugar
07 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
→ Syrup
08 - 1 cup water
09 - 1 ⅓ cups sugar
10 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
11 - 2 tablespoons honey
12 - 1 cinnamon stick
13 - 1 strip orange peel (optional)
# How To Make:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with melted butter.
02 - Combine chopped walnuts, pistachios, almonds, sugar, and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Toss thoroughly to distribute spices evenly.
03 - Unroll phyllo dough and cover completely with a damp kitchen towel to prevent drying out during assembly.
04 - Place 8 sheets of phyllo in the prepared dish, brushing each sheet generously with melted butter before adding the next sheet.
05 - Sprinkle approximately one-third of the nut mixture evenly across the phyllo base.
06 - Layer 4 additional phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter. Spread half of the remaining nut mixture over this layer.
07 - Add 4 more phyllo sheets, buttering each one. Sprinkle the remaining nut mixture evenly across the surface.
08 - Finish with remaining phyllo sheets, brushing each layer with butter as you stack them.
09 - Using a sharp knife, cut the pastry completely through into diamond or square shapes before baking.
10 - Bake for 35-40 minutes until phyllo turns deep golden brown and becomes crisp throughout.
11 - While baklava bakes, combine water, sugar, lemon juice, honey, cinnamon stick, and orange peel in a saucepan. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick and orange peel. Cool slightly.
12 - Immediately pour warm syrup slowly over entire surface of hot baklava as it comes out of oven. Allow to cool completely at room temperature so pastry absorbs syrup fully before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The contrast between impossibly crisp layers and syrup soaked centers creates something magical
- Once you master the butter brushing technique, this becomes your go to impressive dessert
02 -
- Cutting the baklava before baking is non negotiable, or you will end up with a mess of broken shards instead of neat pieces
- The syrup must be warm, not hot, and the baklava must be hot when they meet, or the texture will turn soggy instead of crisp
03 -
- Work quickly but calmly with phyllo, because panic causes more tears than actual handling
- Clear workspace equals successful baklava, so move everything off your counter before starting