YUM! Baklava

{Courtesy Wiki...yours will look way tastier than this!}

This recipe makes the most amazing baklava and where's the fun of keeping it to myself? Happy Sunday! Serves about 18 servings (but depends on how large you cut the pieces)

*My notes on the recipe are in red

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
1 pound chopped nuts
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup honey

Directions
1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.

2 Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. (The more finely you chop, the better it tastes. It's worth the extra effort) Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. (The phyllo dough can be a pain. When it's frozen, if you try to unroll it, it can break into these long little slivers of dough that are almost unuseable. I normally thaw mine out in the fridge for a little while, just to warm it up a bit from hard frozen before I try to roll it out. Be sure to roll it out gently!) Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. (Just don't let it get too wet or it gets sticky.) Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. (One thing I've done is melt the butter and brush it on. Works wonders to get it even.) Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.

3 Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. (Here's where you can get more, smaller servings from one pan. Cut now, if you can, because cutting after just isn't as easy.) Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.

4 Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

5 Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. (WOW does it smell good!) Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.