No toga party would be complete without baklava. Of course, you could just go out and buy baklava, but this version is better than anything I’ve ever tried and is not difficult at all. It’s got the great flavor of the nuts and honey without being too sweet.

　　

Ingredients

makes 48 pieces

　　

Syrup

1/2 cup sugar

　　1 cup water

　　1 tablespoon lemon juice

　　1/2 cup honey

　　1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

　　

Baklava

3 cups finely chopped walnuts

　　1/4 cup sugar

　　1 teaspoon cinnamon

　　8 ounces phyllo dough, thawed

　　3/4 cup melted butter

　　

Step 1

To prepare the syrup: Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan and cook over high heat until the mixture begins to boil. Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice, honey, and cinnamon and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool completely.

　　

Step 2

To prepare the baklava: Preheat the oven to 375°F.

　　

Step 3

Combine the walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon in a bowl. Unroll the phyllo dough, place on a flat surface, and immediately cover with barely damp paper towels. (Make sure to cover the phyllo every time you take a sheet or it will dry out.) Cut the stack of phyllo sheets into a 9 by 13-inch rectangle, discarding the excess.

　　

Step 4

Lay one sheet of phyllo in the bottom of a 9 by 13-inch baking pan and brush the entire surface with some of the butter. Top with another sheet of phyllo and brush with butter. Continue the process until you have a layer of 4 phyllo sheets. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the nut mixture and continue layering, alternating layers of 2 sheets of buttered phyllo with 1/2 cup of nuts. Top with 4 sheets of buttered phyllo, making sure the top phyllo sheet is generously buttered. With a serrated knife, cut the stacks into 48 squares and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown. (The baklava must be cut before baking. Once the phyllo dough is cooked it gets crispy and will crumble apart when you try to cut it.)

　　

Step 5

Pour the cooled syrup over the hot baklava and allow to cool completely. Arrange the baklava on a serving plate and serve at room temperature.

　　

Bargain Shopper

Step 6

Nuts can be expensive, but there are ways to make it a little easier on your wallet. Chopped walnuts usually come in 1/2 cup packages so you would need 6 packages for this recipe. You can buy a large bag of walnut pieces and chop them with a knife or in the blender for about half the cost.

　　College Cooking