Enjoy one of the best things known to man

Ingredients

For the baklava:
1 lb. of chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, or pistachios are best, or use a combination of them)
1 lb of phyllo dough ~1 roll
1 cup of butter, melted
1/3 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon of ground cloves

For the syrup:
1 cup of water
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of honey
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick
Finely ground pistachios for garnish (optional)

1 lb. of chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, or pistachios are best, or use a combination of them) 1 lb of phyllo dough ~1 roll 1 cup of butter, melted 1/3 cup of sugar 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon 1/3 teaspoon of ground cloves 1 cup of water 1 cup of sugar 1/2 cup of honey 2 tablespoons of lemon juice 1 cinnamon stick

Method

1 Lightly grease a 9x13 pan and set the oven to 350°F.

2 Thaw the phyllo dough according to manufacturer's directions (at least 2 hrs-overnight). When thawed, roll out the dough and cut the dough in half so the sheets will fit in the pan (or just place them in the pan and fold the sides that stick out). Cover with a damp towel over the plastic slip to keep it from drying out (only if you have it out for awhile).

3 Process the nuts until in small, even sized pieces. Combine with sugar, cinnamon, and cloves. In a separate bowl, melt the butter in the microwave or on low-heat stove top.

4 Butter the bottom of the pan to have 1st sheet stick. Place a sheet of phyllo dough into the pan. Using a pastry brush, brush the phyllo sheet with melted butter. Repeat 7 more times until it is 8 sheets thick, each sheet being "painted" with the butter. (To speed this process, I take 2 sheets at a time and paint it with butter)

5 Spoon on a thin layer of the nut mixture- about 1/3 of nut mixture. Cover with four more sheets of phyllo, brushing each one with butter. Continue to repeat the nut mixture--another 1/3. Then cover with four more sheets of buttered phyllo. Add the rest of nut mixture. The top layer should contain 6-8 phyllo sheets, each sheet being individually buttered in order for them to stick, allowing to make cut outs easier. Do not worry if the sheets crinkle up a bit, it will just add more texture.

6 Try to cut into equal sized squares/diamonds using a sharp knife. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes or until lightly golden brown, and edges appear slightly crisp.

7 While baking, make the syrup. Combine the cinnamon stick, sugar, lemon juice, honey, and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium low heat and let simmer for 7 minutes and slightly thickened. Remove the cinnamon stick and allow to cool. (I place in freezer for several minutes until cool in time to place on top of baklava)

8 Spoon the cooled syrup over the hot baklava and let cool for at least 4 hours. Garnish with some finely crushed pistachios of desired.

If you poured too much syrup for your liking, can set the baklava on an elevated plate to which the syrup will run down in the middle.