This baklava is the real deal. Once you find out how easy it is to make, store-bought baklava just won’t cut it. Our version features walnuts and almonds in the filling but feel free to substitute pistachios—the traditional nuts for baklava—or change it up with cashews or pecans.

Makes 20 pieces

Prep time: 1 hour
Cooking time: about 1 hour
Chilling time: 10 minutes
Setting time: at least 6 hours

INGREDIENTS

SYRUP

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup liquid honey Finely grated zest and
• Squeezed juice of 1 lemon Finely grated zest
• Squeezed juice of 1 orange
• 6 whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks (each 3 inches)
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt

BAKLAVA

• 2 ½ cups walnut pieces
• 2 cups slivered almonds
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 pkg (1 lb/454 g) frozen phyllo pastry, thawed

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To make the syrup, combine the sugar, water, honey, lemon and orange zest and juice, cloves, cinnamon sticks and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2. To make the baklava filling, pulse the walnuts in a food processor fitted with the steel blade until coarsely chopped. Add the almonds, sugar and cinnamon. Pulse about five times—the nuts should be finely chopped but not ground to a powder.
3. Tip the nut mixture into a medium bowl. Measure ¼ cup of it into a small bowl to use for the topping. Set aside.
4. Brush a 13-x 9-inch baking dish or baking pan with some of the melted butter.
5. Unroll the phyllo pastry on a large work surface with one short end facing you. Cut the stack of pastry in half parallel to the edge of the work surface.
6. Lay one sheet of phyllo over the base of the prepared dish and brush lightly with some of the melted butter. Repeat with seven more sheets of phyllo pastry, brushing each sheet with butter and keeping the remaining phyllo covered with a clean, lightly dampened cloth.
7. Spread half of the nut filling evenly over the top sheet of phyllo. Top the nut filling with six more sheets of phyllo, brushing each sheet with butter before you add it on top.
8. Sprinkle the top sheet of phyllo with butter and the remaining nut filling. Top the nut filling with eight more sheets of phyllo, brushing each sheet with butter.
9. Press down gently on the top of the baklava to compress the layers. Refrigerate the baklava for 10 minutes.
10. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350ºF.
11. Remove the baklava from the fridge and, leaving it in its dish and using a sharp knife, cut it into 20 diamond shapes or rectangles.
12. Bake the baklava for 40 minutes. Sprinkle with the reserved ¼ cup of nut mixture. Bake until crispy and golden brown, about 10 minutes.
13. Meanwhile, reheat the syrup over low heat until warm but not hot. Strain the syrup through a fine mesh sieve, discarding the flavourings.
14. Carefully pour the warm syrup over the baked baklava. Let the baklava set at room temperature overnight (or for at least 6 hours) before serving.
15. Serve the baklava at room temperature or warmed in the oven. The baklava can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.