BAKLAVA Recipe For Christmas (Almonds Nuts And Honey)

Baklava is good. It’s good for you. But when it’s made at home, it’s the best. And it doesn’t have to be my house that makes it. It can be anywhere. It can be anywhere. Baklava made at home usually tastes better than the baklava you buy at the store. It has more flavor, freshness, and something else.

Baklava makes an excellent Christmas food gift: give a whole pan to someone you care about, or divide it into portions and package them in small boxes or bags. Your recipients will appreciate you even more than they do now. Only you can decide whether or not this is a desirable outcome. Just be aware that it will occur.

Ingredients:

For the Filling:

• 1 ½ cups walnuts, finely chopped
• 1 ½ cups almonds, finely chopped
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar (or sugar substitute to reduce WW points)

For the Syrup:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar (or sugar substitute)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 cinnamon stick

For Assembly:

• 16 phyllo pastry sheets (choose reduced-fat versions if available)
• Cooking spray (such as a butter-flavored non-stick spray)

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. In a bowl, combine the chopped walnuts, chopped almonds, cinnamon, and sugar. Set aside.
3. In a saucepan, combine the water, sugar, honey, lemon juice, and cinnamon stick. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and set the syrup aside to cool.
4. Lay one sheet of phyllo pastry in the bottom of a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Spray it with cooking spray. Repeat this process with 7 more sheets, spraying each sheet with cooking spray.
5. Sprinkle half of the nut mixture over the layered phyllo sheets.
6. Continue layering the remaining phyllo sheets on top of the nut mixture, spraying each sheet with cooking spray.
7. Add the remaining nut mixture on top of the final phyllo layer.
8. Finish with the last 8 sheets of phyllo, spraying each sheet with cooking spray.
9. Using a sharp knife, cut the baklava into diamond or square shapes.
10. Bake in the preheated oven for about 45-50 minutes, or until the baklava is golden brown and crisp.
11. Once out of the oven, immediately pour the cooled syrup evenly over the hot baklava.
12. Allow the baklava to cool and soak up the syrup for several hours, preferably overnight, before serving.

Nutrition Information ( per Serving):

• Calories: 215
• Total Fat: 11g
• Saturated Fat: 1g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 45mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 27g
• Dietary Fiber: 2g
• Sugars: 18g
• Protein: 4g