Indulge in the rich flavors of Christmas with this delightful baklava recipe featuring the crunch of walnuts. Layers of buttery phyllo pastry infused with aromatic spices and sweet honey make this a perfect treat for the holiday season.
Ingredients
- 1 package (16 ounces) phyllo dough, thawed
- 1 1/2 cups walnuts, finely chopped
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the finely chopped walnuts with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and lemon zest. Set aside.
- Unroll the phyllo dough carefully and cover it with a damp cloth to prevent it from drying out.
- Place one sheet of phyllo dough in the greased baking dish and brush it generously with melted butter. Repeat with 7 more sheets, brushing each with butter.
- Sprinkle a thin layer of the walnut mixture evenly over the buttered phyllo sheets.
- Continue layering the phyllo sheets, brushing each with butter and sprinkling with the walnut mixture, until all the walnut mixture is used. Finish with 8-10 layers of buttered phyllo sheets on top.
- Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the baklava into diamond or square shapes.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the baklava is golden brown and crisp.
- While the baklava is baking, prepare the syrup. In a saucepan, combine granulated sugar, water, honey, and vanilla extract. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
- Once the baklava is done baking, remove it from the oven and immediately pour the hot syrup evenly over the hot baklava.
- Allow the baklava to cool completely in the baking dish before serving. This will allow the syrup to soak into the layers properly.
- Serve the Christmas baklava with walnuts as a festive dessert, and enjoy the delightful flavors of the holiday season!
