Baklava

• 1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
• 1 pound chopped nuts
• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 C. water
• 1 1/2 C. white sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 C. honey
• 
  
• Make sauce before you do anything else: Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 50 minutes, until thick. Cool in the fridge while making the rest.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Lightly toast nuts then chop and toss with cinnamon. Set aside.
• Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.(I use a pastry brush for all the buttering)
• Unroll phyllo dough. You can cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered making sure to butter every 2 sheets. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with 2 sheets of dough then butter then 2 more sheets, butter, then nuts. Repeat. The top layer should be about 10-12 sheets deep.
• Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes almost to the bottom of the pan. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
• Remove baklava from oven and immediately pour cool sauce over it. Let cool. Leave it uncovered. it gets soggy if
• it is wrapped up.