Baklava Recipe: My Family’s Extra Nutty Honey Baklava

Tap an ingredient or step to check it off.

1. 1Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. 2Step 2: Make the honey syrup: In a saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Add the honey, orange extract if using, and whole cloves if using. Stir to combine, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool to lukewarm. Add the lemon juice and remove the whole cloves. Set aside to cool completely while you assemble the baklava. The syrup should be cool when you pour it over the hot pastry.
3. 3Step 3: Prepare the nut filling: Place the pistachios, walnuts, and hazelnuts in a food processor fitted with a blade. Pulse a few times until chopped, without grinding them into a powder or paste. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in the sugar, cinnamon, and ground cloves.
4. 4Step 4: Prepare the phyllo and pan: Carefully unroll the thawed phyllo and keep the sheets between two clean kitchen towels while you work. Brush the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan with some of the melted butter.
5. 5Step 5: Build the bottom pastry layer: Place one sheet of phyllo in the pan, folding it in half or trimming it with kitchen shears as needed to fit. Brush the top with melted butter. Repeat, adding and buttering each sheet, until you have used about one-third of the phyllo.
6. 6Step 6: Add the first nut layer: Distribute half the nut filling evenly over the pastry.
7. 7Step 7: Build the middle layers: Add another third of the phyllo, one sheet at a time, brushing each sheet with melted butter. Spread the remaining half of the nut filling evenly over the pastry.
8. 8Step 8: Finish with phyllo: Add the remaining third of the phyllo, brushing each sheet with melted butter. Brush the very top sheet with butter.
9. 9Step 9: Cut before baking: Using a sharp knife, cut the pastry into 24 diamond-shaped pieces about ½ inch deep. You can cut up to 36 smaller pieces if you prefer.
10. 10Step 10: Bake until golden: Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top turns golden. Check halfway through baking, since ovens vary.
11. 11Step 11: Add the syrup: As soon as you remove the baklava from the oven, pour the cooled honey syrup evenly over the hot pastry.
12. 12Step 12: Cool and serve: Let the baklava cool completely and rest for several hours if possible, or at least 1 hour, to absorb the syrup. Cut all the way through the pieces you marked before baking. Garnish with chopped pistachios, if you like, and serve.