From the kitchen of
Harpers Ferry Guest House
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia

Ingredients Syrup for Baklava 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup honey 2 cups water Juice of 1/2 lemon The squeezed lemon rind Baklava 1 pound phyllo pastry sheets (Generally available in the frozen food section of good supermarkets) 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks sweet (unsalted)) butter, melted 1 pound walnut meats, (finely chopped) 5 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon Dash of clove Syrup (as previously described) 13 x 9 x 2 Baking pan Butter brush Directions Baklava is that wonderfully moist and sweet Greek Pastry that contains many layers of thin pastry sheets and is filled with honey and ground walnuts between the layers. It is usually found on the desert menu of any good Greek Restaurant. Allison, who is the baker (as well as the owner) of our B&B is of Greek heritage and was taught to make baklava by her grandmother. Syrup for Baklava (This must be made first and cooled before using) In a saucepan combine the syrup ingredients above. Bring to a boil for 20 minutes then remove lemon rind and let cool. (After the baklava has been baked. this syrup will be poured over it while it is still warm.) Baklava Make sure you have enough phyllo sheets for a top and bottom layer of 10 or 12 sheets and three middle layers of about half that many in each layer. Build the bottom layer of 10 sheets of phyllo pastry in the baking pan, carefully brushing each second sheet evenly with the melted butter. When the 10 bottom sheets are in place in the pan, combine walnuts, sugar, cinnamon and clove and spread 1/3 of this mixture over the top sheet in the pan. Place another 5 or 6 sheets in the pan on top of the mix, buttering every second sheet as with the first group. Sprinkle with another 1/3 of the nut mixture. Repeat this process with the second middle layer of sheets then use the final 1/3 of the nut mix to cover the last middle layer. Add the top 10 sheets again carefully buttering each second sheet. With a very sharp knife, cut baklava into diamond shaped pieces by making diagonal parallel cuts in opposite directions across the pan. Try to cut it into 30 to 36 pieces to get the right size. Heat the remaining butter (There should be about 1/2 cup) until very hot and beginning to brown, and pour evenly over the baklava. Sprinkle the top with a few drops of cold water and bake in two stages in the oven. First 350 degrees for 30 minutes then reduce heat to 300 degrees and continue to bake for another 60 minutes. Pour cool syrup over the warm baklava. Let set and cool until the syrup has been absorbed before serving. It should not be served hot.   Submitted by Allison Alsdorf on 2/22/99.

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