Sensational Baklava Recipe – Chef John’s Secret

1. Place walnuts, pistachios, and cinnamon in bowl of a food processor. Pulse on and off until mixture is chopped but not too fine.

2. Brush bottom of 9-inch round baking pan with melted butter. Place one round of phyllo dough in the pan; add a second round of dough. Drip about 1 tablespoon of melted butter over the top. Add 2 more sheets and drizzle with butter. Add 2 more sheets and drip with butter creating 6 layers for the bottom. (While you work keep the phyllo sheets covered with a damp, nearly dry, cotton towel to keep dough from drying out.)

3. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the nut mixture. Top with a sheet of phyllo and drip with melted butter; repeat with 1 more sheet of filo. Add another 1/3 of the nut mixture.

4. Place another sheet of phyllo on the nuts; drip with butter. Top with another sheet and drip with butter. Add the remaining nut mixture.

5. Top with 2 sheets of phyllo; drip with butter. Add 2 more sheets; drip with butter. Top with the last 2 sheets and drizzle generously with the remaining butter. Cover pan with plastic and refrigerate until completely chilled, about 1 hour.

6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

7. Cut baklava into about 12 diamond-shaped pieces approximately the same size.

8. Bake in preheated oven until browned and crisp, about an hour.

9. Place sugar, honey, and cloves in a saucepan. Pour in water. Place pan over medium-high heat and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil; remove from heat. Whisk in vanilla and orange blossom water.

10. After baklava has rested 5 minutes, ladle syrup over the top. Cool down to room temperature before serving.

    

Editor’s Note:

If you want to use homemade phyllo dough, use 16 sheets in the baklava. Get the recipe for Chef John’s Homemade Phyllo Dough.