Recipe by Shelly Sturdevant, Lithopolis, Ohio
First place, Honey and Bee Items (Cookies), 2019
Baking temperature: 325º F and 300º F
Baking time: 30 minutes and 45+ minutes
Yield: 24 pieces
Ingredients
- 1 lb. frozen phyllo dough, thawed
- 3 cups coarsely ground walnuts, roasted
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- Two 4 oz. sticks of salted butter, melted
Syrup:
- ½ cup water
- 1 ½ cups The Bee Man (Carrol, Ohio) honey
Instructions
- Grease bottom and sides of 9” x 13” baking pan with melted butter.
- Place 2 sheets of phyllo dough in the baking pan, brushing the top layer with melted butter. Continue this process until you have used 8 sheets.
- Lay half of the roasted walnuts on the layer of phyllo, sprinkling half the cinnamon across the top of the nuts.
- Cover with 8 mores sheets of phyllo, following the same process as the first 8 sheets.
- Lay the remaining roasted walnuts and cinnamon on top of this layer.
- Continue the process of buttering every other sheet of phyllo until the entire pound of dough is used. (Tip: work quickly as phyllo dough is quick to dry out).
- Once all layers are complete, using a serrated knife, cut the phyllo dough into diamond shaped pieces. It is important to do this BEFORE baking as the phyllo will crush if done after.
- Bake at 325° F for 30 minutes.
- Reduce heat to 300° F and continue to bake an additional 45-60 minutes until golden brown.
- After baklava has been in oven about 45 minutes, combine all syrup ingredients in a saucepan and cook on medium until the syrup comes to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low for 15 minutes.
- When baklava is removed from oven, pour syrup directly over baklava. Let cool completely before serving. (Tip: For ease of serving, place each piece in cupcake liners).
- For extra honey flavor, brush a small amount of The Bee Man honey on each piece of baklava before serving.