Baklava -- Sweetness Worth Waiting For

Brayden is two hundred and seven weeks old. Eden is one year and thirteen weeks. The baklava is a small ambitious-phyllo project — layered phyllo with chopped walnuts and pistachios, baked, then soaked in a small honey-and-water-and-cinnamon syrup.

Sunday I made a 9x13 pan.

The Sapulpa-Elementary cooking-class continues. The small Wednesday-afternoon rhythm has settled. The small kids are progressing through the small twelve-week curriculum. Tracy Patton has been the small partnership-and-support presence the program needed.

The Pantry Rules cookbook companion has been selling at its small steady-trickle pace. The catering-cookbook continues at its small steady-pace too. The small online-store revenue is the small additional-revenue-stream the catering business has built.

The small Sunday-cooking is now the small family-of-four event. Brayden helps. Eden watches from the bouncer (later from the high-chair). Dustin handles the small dishes-and-cleanup. The small kitchen has become the small family-stage. The small role of the small Sunday-cook has shifted from the small individual-creative-act to the small family-orchestration-act.

The small recipe-archive of the blog continues to grow. The small ten-year-anniversary in March 2026 is the small approaching-milestone. The small five-hundredth-post was in October 2025. The small archive is now in its small thousand-post-trajectory.

Baklava

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes | Servings: 24 pieces

Ingredients

• 1 lb phyllo dough, thawed
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 3 cups walnuts, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish generously and set aside.
2. Mix the filling. In a bowl, combine the chopped walnuts, cinnamon, and ground cloves. Stir well and set aside.
3. Layer the phyllo. Unroll the phyllo dough and trim to fit the pan if needed. Keep the stack covered with a damp towel as you work to prevent drying. Lay 2 sheets of phyllo in the buttered dish and brush thoroughly with melted butter. Repeat, layering 2 sheets and brushing with butter, until you have used half the phyllo (about 8–10 sheets total).
4. Add the filling. Spread the walnut mixture evenly over the layered phyllo in the pan.
5. Top with remaining phyllo. Continue layering the remaining phyllo sheets, 2 at a time, brushing each layer generously with melted butter. Finish with a final brush of butter on top.
6. Score the baklava. Using a sharp knife, cut the baklava into diamond or square shapes all the way through the layers — do this before baking so the syrup can soak in properly.
7. Bake. Bake at 350°F for 40–45 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and crisp.
8. Make the syrup. While the baklava bakes, combine water, sugar, honey, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Allow to cool slightly.
9. Soak. As soon as the baklava comes out of the oven, pour the warm syrup slowly and evenly over the hot baklava. Let it stand uncovered at room temperature for at least 4 hours, or overnight, before serving so the layers absorb the syrup fully.
10. Serve. Cut through the scored lines again if needed and serve at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 220 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 25g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 75mg