1 lb phyllo pastry, thawed
2 ½ sticks sweet butter, melted at low temperature
Syrup:
2 cups of sugar
1 Tablespoon of lemon juice
1 cup of water
¼ cup honey (optional)
Filling:
1 lb walnuts, toasted and chopped coarsely
½ cup of sugar
1/8 teaspoon of cloves
1 tsp of cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
Combine sugar and water and cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Add lemon juice and cook over low heat for 10 – 15 minutes. Stir in honey and set syrup aside.
Prepare filling by blending sugar, nuts, and spices until uniform. Place thawed phyllo dough on work surface. Brush bottom of pan with melted butter. Lay one sheet of phyllo in pan, butter lightly and continue layering until ½ the sheets have been used. Spread filling evenly over phyllo layers. Place remaining sheets of phyllo on top as before, buttering lightly over each one. Brush last layer also. Use a sharp knife and gently score (cutting through all layers) into square or diamond shapes. Bake for 20-25 minutes (check for browning). Lower heat to 300 degrees and cook for another 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and pour cooled syrup over baklava. Let sit for 24 hours. Serve at room temperature.