Grandma Era’s Famous Baklava

Dessert

Nov 18

A holiday staple at Grandma's house growing up. The smell of cardamom always brings back memories of her kitchen. She might kill me if she knew I was sharing her recipe, but here you go!

Ingredients:

1 lb. walnuts
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cardamom (optional)
1 lb sweet butter, unsalted, melted
1 lb fillo dough

Syrup:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup honey

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Chop walnuts in a food processor for a couple pulses. Add sugar and cardamom to the walnuts.
Brush bottom of large sheet pan with a little butter.
Divide dough in 3 parts.
Lay one section of dough on work station and generously brush all the layers one at a time with melted butter and layer on sheet pan. Keep a damp towel over the dough you are not using so it does not dry out.
Sprinkle 1/2 of walnut mixture over the dough. Spread out evenly.
Top second portion of dough in the same manner, brushing each layer with melted butter.
Add the rest of the walnut mixture.
Top with third layer of dough in the same manner as before.
Cut in diamond shapes by cutting across the pan from top to bottom, then cutting diagonally all the way across the pan.
Bake at 375 degrees for 10 mins then lower heat to 350 degrees for another 20 minutes.
Meanwhile cook together the 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water for 10 mins.
Stir in honey. Keep hot.
When you remove pastry from oven, put syrup over the pastry.
Put back in the oven for 5 mins.
Cool completely.
Recut before removing from pan.
Keep in an airtight container in a cool place or the refrigerator.