Baklava

Shopping List

• 1 pound Fillo Pastry
• 2 Cups Salted Butter
• 2 Egg Whites
• 4 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 8 Cups Walnuts, coarsely ground
• 4 Cups Almonds, coarsely ground
• 2 tsp Rose Water
• 2 Cups Water
• 1 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1 tsp Orange Flower Water
• 1 Cup Pistachio nuts, peeled and chopped

Instructions

1. Unroll fillo dough on a flat surface, keeping any remainder covered with a dry towel, then a damp towel on top. Sometimes I just use a dry towel only.
2. Brush progressive sheets forming a stack with melted butter and place into a 16” x 10” pan. You can custom cut to ANY pan if you like, though... Lift off your first thin sheet, and brush top with butter. Keep adding more sheets one at a time. Repeat until all sheets are buttered.
3. Beat egg white until stiff and beat sugar in gradually. Fold in walnuts, almonds, and rose water.
4. Place nut mixture into the pan with buttered sheets on bottom. Then do at least ten more sheets and cover the top (this is the top layer). Cut slowly with a sharp knife into squares before baking.
5. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes; reduce to 300F and cook 15 minutes longer.
6. Now, to make syrup, dissolve sugar in water over heat, add lemon juice and orange flower water, and bring to boil. Boil 13 minutes, remove from heat, add rose water and cool.
7. Finally spoon cool thick syrup over hot pastries. Leave until cool and sprinkle pistachio nuts in center.