Old Fashioned Baklava

INGREDIENTS  

• 1 16 oz. package filo pastry dough, thawed
• 13 tbsp. melted unsalted butter divided
• 4 cups walnuts chopped finely
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup pure honey

INSTRUCTIONS

• Trim filo pastry dough to 13 x 9 inches and cover with a damp towel.
• Grease a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with 1 tbsp. melted butter and set aside.
• Combine sugar, lemon juice, water, and honey in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer another 4 minutes without stirring.
• Remove pan from heat and let cool.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a food processor, pulse walnuts until chopped finely.
• Combine chopped walnuts and cinnamon in a medium bowl and stir.
• Lay 10 filo sheets one at a time into the prepared baking dish, brushing each sheet with melted butter in between layers. Spread 3/4 cup of the walnut mixture onto the filo dough in an even layer.
• Lay another 5 sheets of filo dough over top of the walnut mixture, brushing with butter between layers, and top with another 3/4 cup of the walnut mixture.
• Repeat until walnut mixture is used up and top with 10 sheets of buttered filo dough.
• Brush the top layer with butter. Slice pastry into 1 1/2 inch strips and slice diagonally in both directions to create diamonds.
• Bake uncovered for 85 minutes (1 hour 25 minutes) until pastry is golden in color.
• Immediately after removing from the oven, drizzle with cooled honey syrup over the pastry in an even layer.
• Let cool completely and serve.
• ENJOY!