I've always been too intimidated by the phyllo dough to make it, but I do love it so. Thanks for the recipe!

8 sheets on bottom AND top? I couldn't tell from the picture. Looks yum!

I usually replace half the nuts with dried dates when I make baklava. The first time I did this because I ran out of nuts, but then I decided that I like baklava better with dates.

Gahhh... that second photo just has me wordlessly drooling. It's been quite a while since I had baklava, but I just might have to try to tackle this recipe this weekend.

My favorite baklava recipe was given to my mother when I was in high school. We were lucky enough to learn to make it from a woman who had learned from her mother.

Our recipe uses walnuts, cinnamon, sugar, and a bit of nutmeg for the filling. We use individual sheets of phyllo, lightly buttered and folded in half. Sprinkle the folded pastry with the nut mixture, then use the handle of a wooden spoon to roll up the phyllo sheet. You end up with neat little rolls. After baking, the rolls are quickly dunked in the syrup and then left on a rack to cool and drain. You end up with a portable, slightly crispier, version of the original!

This looks wonderful. I had the same problem with phyllo trying to make little cups. They dried up before baking then just crumbled. Oh well, this look fabulous.

Cardamom. Cardamom, cardamom, cardamom. Substitute ground freshly ground cardamom for the clove, and infuse the syrup with several toasted whole cardamom pods. The perfume is astonishing.

Sounds lovely, GG Mora! I was tempted to throw a vanilla bean and some whole cloves in the syrup as well. ~Garrett

I'm a horrible baker and it has nothing to do with the altitude in Denver. Theres a couple places downtown that make some good stuff (A pizza and a gyro place) and I leave the expert work to them. Not sure where to get the phyllo dough. I had to look it up - never heard of it before. It doesn't sound like something I can pick up at a common grocery store, or can you? Can someone school me? I may try to take this on despite my curse. Darn these cravings! I have to admit your picture looks much more gourmet than anything I've ever had... I bet its wonderful. Thanks!

Most grocery stores have it in the frozen section. ~Garrett

I tried Garrett's baklava and it's fantastic. The phyllo dough was light and crispy, the honey taste was delicious and the pistachios were a nice touch. It was the best baklava I've ever had!

I sometimes use ground cardamom instead of cloves in the nut mixture and for the syrup, or omit the lemon and cinnamon and add a few tablespoons of rose water to the syrup after it's cooled.

I like a mixture of pistachios and pecans actually. It makes for a nice mix of flavor and texture. I also tried some with a sort of mapley flavor that I thought was keen. I think they used maple syrup that was further reduced, but I'm not sure... but this recipe doesn't sound as sweet as most baklava I have had in the past. I might actually try to make this one, who knows?

There is this one stand at the Davis Farmers' Market that has amazing baklava. I tried it once and almost cried from satisfaction. But since then, I've wanted to make my own. This recipe will help push me in the right direction. Great pictures too, really great color and contrast.

Hands down, this one's a labor of love. And that's probably why I make it twice...maybe three...times a year. OK...twice. At most. I curse the whole while also, but to taste the finished product, the memory of all that drudgery preparing it quickly flies out the window.

I like to pulse the nuts to a fine grind. I prefer the compacted texture of the finished baklava and feel it absorbs and holds the syrup better. I also infuse the syrup with an orange peel and lemon slices while boiling, and maybe a clove or two. Boil before you bake to insure the syrup's cool to pour over, for the oft-heard rule, "Cool syrup/hot baklava, hot syrup/cool baklava".

537 Greek diner owners in the NY/NJ area can't be wrong, can they?

If you're feeling particularly "Hellenic", cut the finished product in diamond shapes.

Opa, Opa!

An even easier way is to separate the dough length wise in half, put half down, cover with half of the butter,then the nuts then do the same thing with the top layer. It is much quicker and only took half of the time. You can also use karo syrup to save time instead of you own.

I add rose water to the syrup in my recipe. I agree about using cardamom, too --it's wonderfully aromatic and goes well with both the rose and cinnamon flavors. I recently got some orange blossom water, so I might try that next time.

Putting dates in the filling sounds interesting! I've had custardy fillings in baklava from a Lebanese bakery in SoCal (long ago), though I'm not sure if it's still called baklava. :-) Makes me wonder about other sweet fillings that would work.

My great-grandfather was from Lebanon so I am no stranger to the sinfully sweet and nutty Baklava, Halva and other Middle Eastern desserts. I honestly have to say that Garrett's Baklava is just as good as what my great-grandfather used to make...yes it's that good.

I love Baklava. After living in the Middle East for 12-13 years I have tasted some great baklava. Maybe that is why I am always intimidated to make some on my own - because I know I'd never be able make something like the ones I have tasted. So, at the moment I make do with eating baklava whenever I visit my parents in Dubai. They have a gorgeous Lebanese bakery right next door to where they live. The baklava is to die for. I think I should get over my hesitations and follow this recipe here. It looks great!

A Greek would eat this baklava, hands down...bravo.

I'm working on a baklava with homemade phyllo.

I am not an expert in baking baklava but surely an expert in eating it. So I thought I should add my two cents about "how to eat baklava properly" :) You have to put the whole thing upside down in your mouth, meaning the bottom of the baklava will face your palate. Then you gently squeeze it between your palate and your tongue and let the syrup pour down your throat. Then you start to chew the whole thing. According to experts, this is the most pleasurable way of eating baklava!

Sairuh understands Baklava as I know it: rose water, cardomon...! But Jonathan has it right as well: diamond cuts. Unfortunately, mine is always bought, because I too am intimidated by phyllo pastry. However, you all are so enthusiastic, it gives one hope. Thanks.

I've always been frustrated by the way the top layer skids around and pulls away when I try to cut it (no matter how sharp the knife). The last time I made it, I tried something a little tricky that resulted in much easier cutting. After building up 4 or five layers of phyllo, I buttered the top very well, and then picked up the whole top and flipped it over (at 4 or 5 layers, it's surprisingly stable). The butter that was then on the bottom of the top layer adhered to the nuts underneath and kept it from slipping around – much easier to cut!

Also, I lay the phyllo out between layers of parchment or waxed paper, with that between layers of damp towel. Don't know if this makes a difference, since I've never done it with just a damp towel, but I've never had the phyllo dry out on me.

Those pictures and the way I imagine that baklava tastes brings tears to my eyes.

Garrett, you can share your addiction with us anytime you want. Really! Anytime.
In Algeria, the way we make Baklawa is by using a flaky dough rolled out like a thin lasagna sheet, instead of a phylo dough.

I have never had baklava before, but you picture, and the way that you described it makes me want to start your recipe right now!

The custard-filled Greek dessert sairuh referred to is called Galaktobouriko. The nut filling is essentially replaced with a custard. Still gets the honey syrup treatment.

http://www.hellenictaste.netfirms.com/Galaktobouriko.htm

Like baklava, I can eat a whole pan of this faster than I can say galakta...galakto...galaktuh...aww, forget it.

And if you should ever find yourself in NYC, Poseidon Bakery in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood is the place to try them all:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/poseidon-bakery-new-york

You ate an entire pan? My god, you are truly something... I once went on a baklava "spree" that involved eating 4 pieces in a matter of minutes, and then I promptly felt sick the rest of the day because it was so rich (but sooo delicious - how can one resist?)

It's my stupid human trick, that and punishing an entire box of Girl Scout thin mints in one sitting. ~Garrett

I'm Turkish and this recipe is really similar to our family recipe! It's really not that difficult actually and the taste is well worth it. Now, homemade phyllo dough is the real challenge! I have tried and it just doesn't turn out like my grandmother's...

I must admit that I've been a wimp so far, and that the only time I eat baklava is at the local Greek restaurant. Not that I'm complaining, it's incredibly good baklava!

I suffer the same infliction as you, only I knew better than to make it myself (I buy it 4 pieces at a time and I don't share!)... that was until now... Now that I have a recipe to test, just to see if it's as good as the ones I buy... Wonder how well it freezes?

I haven't made this exact recipe, but it is pretty similar to ones I've successfully used in the past. The big trick is simply to organize your work area so you can assemble quickly, and avoid the phyllo drying out.

Do not agonize over it -- it actually works better the quicker you do it. If you miss a little spot with the butter, or rip the phyllo a little, no problem, just move on.

Once you figure out how long to thaw the phyllo so it is neither dry nor soggy you are home free.

I also like to soak a little bit of orange peel in the syrup (remove the peel before pouring the syrup).

Don't be intimidated by making baklava! I first learned this recipe in my 2nd grade classroom from the mother of a classmate. If a bunch of rowdy 2nd graders can make it, so can you. Don't worry, if you mess up, it still tastes delicious :)

Jonathan, thanks for the link to the galaktobouriko recipe. I wonder how long it would last before the phyllo become soggy? Wait, why am I asking? ;-) Oh, right: just wondered if it could be made a day before serving. I've found that "aging" baklava for a day or so allows the syrup and nuts to integrate nicely, without loosing phyllo crispness.

There used to be a great bakery in San Francisco called Shaharazade, run by an older Arabic couple, where they used to make their own filo dough. They'd shake it until it was as large as king-sized sheet with their hands. And paper-thin, too.

It was much easier to work with than the frozen stuff since it didn't dry up and break when you used it. But better yet, it tasted like 'dough'. It was amazing!

I asked them what they were going to do when they retired and they said, "We're going to close. Our sons aren't interested in the business." I told them I wanted to learn and take it over from them and they laughed, telling me, "It takes at least 5 years to learn how to do this."

Unfortunately, they did finally close and I never got the chance to learn. But boy, was that ever good filo dough!

I grew up in the Detroit area and the best baklava I can remember is from Shatila Sweets in Dearborn, MI. My family used to take huge trays of it with us when visiting family out of town. I've since left Detroit, and when my parents finally retired to a warmer clime, the last thing they did was buy Baklava, and send me a tray. My favorites were always the "fingers" and the "half-moon" pieces because of the fine ground of the nuts. I think the half-moons used cashews as well. Anyway, I'll have to try this. It sounds amazing. Thanks for the recipe.

I add the shredded peel of a small organic orange and a split vanilla bean to my syrup, which I make with part sugar and part Cretan honey, and men have proposed to me on the spot after one bite. Try it!

Also, to freeze: make it as usual, cut into squares and bake lightly. Freeze after cooling (wrapped tightly) and when you're ready to eat, re-bake it till it's golden and then pour on the syrup and enjoy.

This looks like a great recipe. I have an assembly tip which may be helpful:

Instead of trying to cut the dough to fit a 9x11 pan, I line a large jelly roll pan with foil and stack up the layers. Before I bake it, I fold the foil up around the edges to create four sides. After it's baked, and when the syrup has set a little and the whole thing cooled some, I fold the foil walls downs and cutting is super easy.

That looks so good!!

To the person who asked where to buy phyllo dough, it's available in regular grocery stores like Kroger's and Albertson's. Believe it or not, even the dreaded Huge-Mart has it. You can find it in the frozen section with the pie shells and bread dough.

I live in Astoria which is a Greek neighborhood in NY (probably the largest Greek community in the US...) and in the local Greek stores you have a choice of 4-5 different kinds of phyllo dough, all different thicknesses, one of them is called homemade style meaning that it is not as thick as the machine rolled ones.

The Problem: which one should I use/buy?

I would ask the people who work there. My store only had one option. ~Garrett

I wouldn't even attempt to make this. We have so many good Greek restaurants/bakeries in NYC, I just go out and get it whenever I have the craving, but that photo sure looks scrumptious!

I have a habit of calculating the cost difference in making things I like from scratch versus going out and buying it pre-made. Here, outside DC, we have a Persian-food chain (House of Kabob-thing) and they have baklava in about 2"x2" portions for $3. So if you were to make a 9"x11" pan of this stuff it would retail for $75 (approx 25 servings) or $72 if you cut 24 servings.

Harry & David will sell you a pound of their baklava for $27. I think this is 6"x6" for 9 servings. It's still $3 a serving.

I have all the ingredients except the phyllo dough and nuts in the pantry so I know I can make it for much less per serving for my own enjoyment. However, when I need an immediate baklava fix, I can pay my $3 and appreciate the effort that went into making it too. And if it's good baklava, it makes it that much sweeter too.

Ooooh, Looks awesome! I love Baklava!

Beautiful photos! I've never tasted a really good baklava & know I could never successfully make your delicious sounding recipe...so I'll just enjoy it via computer!

Baklava is one of my go-to dessert recipes. It takes a bit of time, but it's not hard. Try using orange blossom honey and adding some lemon zest.

I'm Armenian and my Grandma made the best... I have come close but of course use purchased Phyllo. My Grandma used to tell us that 'good Armenian brides' made it with at least 24 layers. She used a little wood dowel to roll hers out. We use walnuts and an orange syrup.However the once famous/now gone, Omar Khyam Restaurant in San Francisco used rose water syrup and it was fabulous.

Your baklava looks really good. I am a Turk, and my mother is great in making baklava, with home-made phyllos, of course. She generally does not use cinnamon, and nuts; rather prefers to put Antep pistachios (a special kind of pistachio planted only in Gaziantep city of Turkey) in it, and it tastes really wonderful. Finally, a baklava is more appreciable when it has more layers and Antep pistachios filling (My mother prepares 40 layers by hand, incredible woman!) :)

This is very close to the family recipe going back a couple of generations. The cutting is always diagonal but for really small pieces these can be halved into triangles. The key to cutting is to make sure you mark it well before cooking.

Store bought phyllo is great; used to be it was only in import stores or restaurants and you had to be sure it didn't have freezer burn. Now it is easy to find; much, much easier than yiayia rolling it out with a wooden broomhandle. That was truly a labor of love.

Don't forget that the phyllo can also be used making spanakopida or appetizers!

That looks so elegant -- I never would have thought to garnish with ground pistachios! My aunt makes baklava for every major holiday, I absolutely need to try it myself.

The blog, Under Construction, did this recipe. You can check out her results and see some beautiful pictures she took of as well!

Great recipe! I used a mixture of walnuts and pecans. I probably only used about half of the butter in my brushing (so you may want to only melt a stick of butter at a time, and use the melted butter to brush the dish too).

My results http://www.flickr.com/photos/jbaugher/2332175886/

I am a Turkish girl and I can surely say that Baklava is a real Turkish pastry and for centuries it is a very common traditional pastry that we eat especially in Bayram days. We usually bake it at our homes then serve it to our guests. You can taste 100 hundred baklavas and they can all taste different.

Being an expert in baklava is so important. You should choose the right butter, right flour, right nuts, right heat etc... Some of them are crispy, some are so soft, some are so sweet and some are not.. So you should really find the perfect level, then you can serve it with complacency.

I recently made my first baklava and it was much easier than I imagined. This recipe is fabulous! The key is to cover the stack of phyllo with the sheet of plastic it comes in, then cover that with a dampened kitchen towel. You get a rhythm going as you throw back the covers from your stack of phyllo, grab two sheets, lay them in your pan, recover the stack, then butter the sheets in your pan and sprinkle on the nuts. Repeat frequently until done. That's it. It really isn't hard at all, it's just a bit time consuming. It took me about an hour to make the syrup, build the baklava and get it in the oven. Oh, but it is so worth it. And it freezes beautifully. I wrap individual pieces in plastic wrap so I can take one out daily. Just let it thaw a bit and then munch away. The top is still crispy even after freezing.

I've made it two more times since that first time and cut my time down a bit with practice. But you really just need to relax and enjoy. It is one of those desserts that knock people out when they find out you made it yourself. Only you know that it's not as hard as it looks. But don't tell them that. Just revel in all the praise and moaning as they eat it. If you can stand to share that is!

I love Turkish baklava. Elise, thanks for sharing. Phyllo dough is fun to work with, I like it, althouth it is challenging. In Azerbaijan we made baklava too, but slightly different, not with phylo dough, and it is fabulous too. I posted a recipe for Easy baklava (not the real Azerbaijani though) on my blog www.azcookbook.com. Please visit too!

This type of baklava goes well with ice-cream. There is also a new (I think new) kind of baklava that you use milk+sugar in syrup instead of water. This one is lighter and I like it more. =)

Does anyone know how to make lebanese baklava (it has a ridiculously amazingly yummy cashew paste thing in it). It's a lot finer than the pic shown here - as in the nuts look more pastey than nutsey. I bought some the other day and found out the only two things i can get about this particular style of Baklava. 1 - It's Lebanese. 2 - the great tasting stuff in the middle is Cashew. THAT'S ALL I know and I NEED to know how to make it!!!

Can anyone help?

Since 1983 I've been making Lebanese baklava and it truly does taste a lot different than the Greek version with cinnamon and walnuts. The version I'm in love with is pure pistacios, ground semi-fine, mixed with sugar. The syrup is made with orange blossom water and a squeeze of lemon -no spices. The butter is unsalted. Always make sure the syrup is cool and the pastry is hot when you pour it. This version is distinct and incredibly addictive. My family absolutely insists I make it every Christmas and even though I fly in from another state, when I arrive they have all the ingredients ready to go - and they look upon me with expectant eyes. It's nice to be needed! ;-)

The only problem I have with the whole thing is when the bottom seems soggy compared to the authentic stuff I've had in Lebanon. I need to know the trick for baking this up crispy on the bottom. Does anyone have any suggestions for me? Although the taste is perfect and people rave, I've been sorely disappointed with the results from time to time and I'm really not sure what the problem is. Too much butter on the bottom? Oven not hot enough? (I always preheat like a good girl.) I'm planning my next batch and this time I'm going to try spraying the bottom with non stick spray and using multiple sheets from the bottom up...maybe this will keep the bottom crisp? Please help!

So adding a comment to my own recipe, I recently made this but switched up the spices. I cut out cloves for ground cardamom, and added to the syrup the juice and zest of an entire Meyer lemon, plus threw in a vanilla bean with the contents scraped out. Equally delicious with a definite acidic bite. A nice alternative if you don't want to go the more conventional route. ~Garrett

I used this recipe to make 2 pans of baklava for the school international carnival!

I was so impressed with myself! It looks and tastes like baklava!

Thanks for the great recipe - it's one that I'll use over and over again. Time consuming to a point, but nonetheless, extremely easy!