Categories: Dessert
Ingredients
- 1 package frozen phyllo dough, thawed in the fridge
- 1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) butter
- 4 cups chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 cups honey
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Directions
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To thaw the phyllo dough, remove the package from the freezer and place it in the fridge for 24 hours to thaw.
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Remove the thawed phyllo from the fridge 1 hour before using.
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When working with the phyllo dough, only remove the sheets you immediately need, keeping the other sheets covered in plastic wrap, then a damp cloth.
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
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Melt 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) of the butter in a small saucepan.
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Toss together the chopped pecans and cinnamon in a bowl.
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Set aside.
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Thoroughly butter a rectangular baking pan with the melted butter.
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Make sure the sheets of phyllo will generally fit in the pan. (If they’re a little bigger, that’s okay; if they’re much bigger, just trim them with a sharp knife.)
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Butter the top sheet of phyllo with melted butter.
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Then grab it and the unbuttered sheet below it.
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Flip the sheets over and set them in the pan buttered-side down.
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Press them lightly into the pan.
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Repeat this twice more, so that you have 6 sheets of phyllo in the pan, 3 of the sheets buttered.
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Sprinkle on enough pecans to make a single layer.
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Butter 2 sheets of phyllo and place them on top of the pecans buttered-sides down.
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Add more pecans, then 2 more buttered phyllo sheets.
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Repeat this a couple more times, or until you’re out of pecans.
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Top with 4 more buttered phyllo sheets, buttered-sides down.
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Butter the top of the final sheet.
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Cut a diagonal diamond pattern in the baklava using a very sharp knife.
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Bake until very golden brown, about 45 minutes.
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While the baklava is baking, combine the honey, sugar, vanilla, 1/2 cup water and the remaining 1 stick butter in a saucepan.
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Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
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When you remove the baklava from the oven, drizzle half of the honey mixture evenly all over the top.
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Allow it to sit and absorb for a minute, then drizzle on a little more until you think it’s thoroughly moistened.
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You’ll likely have some of the honey mixture leftover, which you can drink with a straw. Just kidding.
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Allow the baklava to cool, uncovered, for several hours.
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Once cool and sticky and divine, carefully remove from the pan and serve with coffee.