Baklava Recipe

Directions

1. 1
   Baklava is a rich, sweet, holiday confection prepared using phylo sheets, that are a plain, paper-thin flour and water pastry popular in Greek and Turkish pastries, both sweet and savory.
2. 2
   The wafer thin layers of phylo are spread with butter; the eighteenth layer is then covered with minced nuts and another 18 layers are placed, with each layer being buttered for flakiness.
3. 3
   Phylo ('phylo' is the Greek term but these delicate mille-feuille pastry sheets are also known as 'yufha' in Turkey and 'filo' in the Middle East) may be found in the freezer section of the supermarket (one brand is Pepperidge Farm).
4. 4
   It is important never to allow the phylo sheets to be exposed to the air for any length of time during the preparation or possibly they will dry out and become brittle.
5. 5
   For this reason, keep a microwavable c. filled with butter close at hand and brush the phylo often or possibly keep it covered with a damp, clean cloth.
6. 6
   Any combination of minced walnuts, pistachios and almonds may be used as filling, with pistachios perhaps being the most authentic.