Gluten-Free Baklava

Ingredients

• 2 recipes of Gluten-Free Phyllo Dough
• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 4-5 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 lb chopped pistachios or walnuts or almonds (or a combination of them)
• 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• Finely ground pistachios, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the phyllo dough according to the instructions...: Prepare the phyllo dough according to the instructions here and store it in an airtight container until ready to use.

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 350ºF and lightly grease...: Preheat the oven to 350ºF and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.

3. 3

   In a food processor, add the nuts and...: In a food processor, add the nuts and process until they are finely chopped. If you don’t have a food processor, you can use a knife to chop the nuts. Mix in the cinnamon and ground cloves.

4. 4

   Assemble the first layer of the baklava; carefully...: Assemble the first layer of the baklava; carefully place a sheet of phyllo dough into the pan. Using a pastry brush, gently brush the dough with melted butter. Repeat 4 more times for a total of 5 phyllo sheets brushed with butter.

5. 5

   Add a thin layer of the nut mixture...: Add a thin layer of the nut mixture and cover with 2 more sheets of phyllo brushed with butter. Repeat 3 more times until the nuts are over and you have left 5 more phyllo sheets.

6. 6

   Now to make the top layer, add the...: Now to make the top layer, add the remaining phyllo sheets. Don’t forget to brush with melted butter in between each layer.

7. 7

   Using a sharp knife, cut the baklava into...: Using a sharp knife, cut the baklava into equal pieces. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until lightly golden brown, and the edges are slightly crisp.

8. 8

   While the baklava is in the oven, prepare...: While the baklava is in the oven, prepare the syrup. In a medium saucepan, over medium-high heat, combine the sugar, water, honey, lemon juice, cloves, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium-low heat. Let it simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Allow the syrup to cool. Remove the cinnamon stick.

9. 9

   Remove the baklava from the oven and drizzle...: Remove the baklava from the oven and drizzle the syrup over the hot baklava. Preferably, let the baklava cool at room temperature for 3-4 hours before serving.

10. 10

    Garnish with some finely ground pistachios if desired.