Deep-Dish Baklava

In 'Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey' by Jill O'Connor

• Ready In: 3 hrs 30 mins
• Yields: 20 pieces

Ingredients

• Pastry

• 3  cups  finely chopped walnuts
• 2  cups  finely chopped  almonds
• 2⁄3 cup sugar
• 2  teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2  lbs phyllo dough (seventy-five 9 x 13 inch sheets)
• 1 1⁄2 cups unsalted butter, melted

• Syrup

• 2  cups sugar
• 2  cups  mild honey
• 2  cups water
•  lemon peel (one 6-inch strip)
• 1  vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
• 1  cinnamon stick

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 13 x 9 inch metal baking pan with melted butter.
3. Pastry: in a small bowl, combine the walnuts, almonds, sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves; set aside.
4. On a clean work surface, lay flat 1 sheet of phyllo and brush it lightly with melted butter.
5. Layer 7 more sheets of phyllo over the first, buttering each one.
6. Carefully lay this stack of butter phyllo in the prepared pan.
7. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup of the nut mixture.
8. Layer together 8 more sheets of phyllo, buttering each sheet, and lay this stack over the first layer of nuts.
9. Sprinkle the second stack of phyllo sheets with another 1 cup of the nut mixture.
10. Repeat this process until there are 5 stacks of buttered phyllo (8 sheets in each stack) separated by and ending with a layer of nut mixture (1 cup for each of 5 layers).
11. On a flat work surface, prepare the top of the pastry by layering together 35 sheets of phyllo dough, buttering each sheet.
12. Carefully place this stack of layered phyllo over the last layer of nuts in the pan.
13. The pan should be completely full of pastry.
14. With a sharp knife, score the baklava into square or diamond-shape pieces by cutting through just the top layers of phyllo dough.
15. Bake until crisp throughout and the top layers are golden brown, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
16. While the baklava is baking, make the honey syrup: combine all the syrup ingredients in a large stockpot and bring the syrup to a boil over med-high heat.
17. Decrease heat to medium and simmer until the mixture is the consistency of thick maple syrup, about 10 minutes.
18. Remove the syrup from the heat and let cool slightly.
19. As soon as the baklava comes out of the oven, spoon the slightly warm syrup over the pastry.
20. Let the baklava cool completely before cutting the scored pieces completely.
21. Don't be nervous if the baklava seems to be swimming in the syrup initially.
22. As the pastry cools, the syrup is absorbed into the layers.
23. It is very important to allow the baklava to cool completely, giving the syrup plenty of time to ease into the pastry layers and give the baklava its wonderful gooey-crisp texture.
24. Baklava will keep, covered, for 2 days at room temperature or 4 days refrigerated.