Baklava

For the pastry:
Finely chop the nuts in a food processor. Transfer nuts to a bowl and mix in brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and cloves. Mix to combine.

Brush a 13 by 9-inch baking pan with melted butter and set aside.

Unroll phyllo dough and cut it to fit the bottom of your pan. Keep the pastry covered with a damp (not wet) towel as you work to prevent it from drying out.

To build the baklava, you will alternate 3 layers of dough with 2 layers of nuts. Start with a stable base of 10 sheets of dough on the bottom of the pan brushing each sheet with melted butter before you put it into the pan.

Spread ½ the nut mixture evenly over the top of the stack of buttered sheets. Then add another layer of 10 sheets brushing each one with butter before adding it into the pan over the layer of nuts. Spread the rest of the nut mixture over the buttered sheets and stack the final 10 sheets of phyllo dough on top, brushing each sheet with butter before adding it.

If you have time, cover and refrigerate it for 30 minutes so the butter will set and make the baklava easier to cut.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Using a sharp knife, make 5 cuts down the length of the dough, then cut it several times diagonally to form diamonds.

Bake for 40 minutes at 350 F until golden and flaky. While it’s baking make the simple syrup.

For the Orange Scented Simple Syrup:

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer for 10 minutes until thickened. Remove the orange peel, cinnamon stick, and whole cloves; set aside to cool.

When the baklava comes out of the oven, pour the syrup evenly over the hot baklava. Allow to stand for several hours before serving.
Enjoy!