How to Make Baklava with Cornelia Koniditsiotis

Make the syrup a day before baking the baklava by boiling sugar, water, lemon juice, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, orange slices, and honey until it reaches the consistency of karo syrup.

Strain the syrup and let it cool.

Melt unsalted butter.

Grind pecan halves and mix with ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and orange zest.

Butter a 12 x 18 pan and layer 5-7 sheets of filo, buttering each layer.

Spread 1 cup of the nut mixture across the filo.

Layer 2-3 sheets of filo, buttering each layer, and repeat the process until the nuts are used up.

Once out of nuts, layer and butter each of 14 filo sheets for the top.

Refrigerate the assembled baklava for 10-15 minutes.

Cut into squares, triangles, or diamonds, pushing a whole clove into the center of each piece.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown, turning the pan every 15 minutes.

Gently pour cooled syrup over the baked baklava and allow to set overnight.

Equipment Needed

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