Baklava

Baklava is one of those desserts that always seemed intimidating to make. While it does take a little time and patience, it’s surprisingly straightforward once you get started. The layering process is much like assembling a lasagna—just with delicate sheets of phyllo instead of pasta.

I decided to make my own because I often find restaurant and store-bought baklava to be overly sweet, with the honey overpowering the flavor of the nuts. For this version, I omitted the honey entirely. Instead, the syrup gets its rich sweetness from a combination of granulated and dark brown sugar, allowing the buttery phyllo and pistachios to really shine. It turned out to be exactly what I was hoping for: crisp, nutty, and perfectly balanced.

Ingredients

Baklava

40 sheets phyllo dough (1 box), completely thawed

2 cups finely ground walnuts

2 cups finely ground pistachios

4 sticks (1 pound/454 g) unsalted butter, melted

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

For the Syrup

3 cups water

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Place the walnuts and pistachios in a food processor and pulse until they resemble a fine nut meal. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the syrup. Combine the water, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for 15–20 minutes, or until the syrup has thickened slightly to the consistency of a light maple syrup. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool while you assemble the baklava.

Brush the bottom of a baking dish with melted butter.

Working quickly, place one sheet of phyllo into the pan and lightly brush it with butter. Continue layering the phyllo, brushing each sheet lightly with butter before adding the next. If the phyllo begins to dry out while you work, cover the remaining sheets with a slightly damp kitchen towel. Be sure the dough is completely thawed before beginning, as frozen phyllo tears easily.

After you’ve layered the first 20 sheets, spread half of the nut mixture evenly over the phyllo.

Layer 5 more buttered sheets of phyllo over the nuts, then spread the remaining nut mixture evenly over the top.

Finish with the remaining 15 sheets of buttered phyllo, brushing the top layer generously with butter.

Using a very sharp knife, score the baklava into diamond-shaped pieces before baking.

Bake for about 1 hour, or until the top is deeply golden brown and crisp.

Allow the baklava to cool for about 15 minutes, then slowly spoon the cooled syrup evenly over the top. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, to allow the syrup to soak into the layers.

Notes

If you prefer an extra syrupy baklava, consider making a double batch of the syrup and reserving half. After the baklava has chilled overnight, drizzle on additional chilled syrup just before serving if you’d like a moister dessert.