This week I decided to share a little bit of my culture with my grandmother’s recipe for Egyptian Baklava. This is one of my favorite things to have at family gatherings; it’s a really traditional dessert, and if you like walnuts you’re sure to love it. There are a lot of variations on the actual shape of the Baklava, but this is one of the more traditional ones I see when I visit. I hope you enjoy this little taste of Egypt as much as I do!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups walnuts, chopped
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup melted butter (for walnuts)
• 2 cups melted butter, or as needed (for phyllo)
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 1 package phyllo dough, thawed to room temperature

For syrup:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 ℉
2. Spread walnuts on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes
3. After you take them out of the oven, mix the walnuts with  ½ cup of melted butter and cinnamon in a bowl.
4. Grease your pan (size depends on the size phyllo dough you are using) and add two sheets of dough; brush them with melted butter. Repeat this until you have used half your dough.
5. Spread the nut mixture evenly over the dough.
6. Again, place two sheets of dough and coat with butter. Repeat until you use the rest of the dough.
7. Cut the Baklava in the pan before baking it, make diagonal lines and cut in a pattern to create diamonds.
8. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes until golden brown
9. While it is baking, prepare the syrup, combine the sugar and water in a pot and heat it over the medium for about 10 minutes or until it begins to boil.
10. Take off the heat and add lemon juice, then return it to heat until it starts to boil again. Then set it aside until the Baklava is done baking.
11. Once both the Baklava and the syrup are cooled completely, pour the syrup over the Baklava coating it completely.
12. Top with nuts to garnish, and enjoy!