Don’t be discouraged. This special dessert may take some time to put together but it is really SO easy and SO worth it!
Ingredients:
1 package (16oz) frozen phyllo dough, thawed
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 cups toasted pecans
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 ½ cups North Coast apple juice or cider
1 cup pure maple syrup
Directions:
In a small saucepan, bring the North Coast apple juice or cider to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20-25 minutes or until the cider has reduced to 1 cup. Remove from heat and stir in the maple syrup. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 325°. Coat a 9”x13” baking dish with melted butter.
In a food processor, pulse the cool toasted pecans with the ground cinnamon and cloves until they are about the size of peas.
Place your first layer of phyllo into the baking dish and brush with a thin layer of melted butter. Add another phyllo layer and repeat until you have ten layers of phyllo. Spread 1/5 of the nut mixture over top. Add five more sheets, brushing each layer with butter. Add another 1/5 of the nut mixture. Repeat four more times. Your top layer will have ten sheets like the bottom.
Carefully cut the baklava lengthwise into 4 strips. Then cut diagonally to create diamond shapes.
Place in oven and bake for 50 minutes or until the top layer is flakey and golden. Pour syrup mixture over the baklava while it is still hot. This is where the crackling magic happens!
Let baklava cool. Carefully recut and separate the baklava adding a pecan (or sprinkle with chopped pecans) to every piece. Apolamváno!
