Plain Baklava

Ingredients

• 1 lb strudel or fillo pastry sheets
• ½ lb sweet butter, melted
• ½ lb walnuts, coarsely ground
• ¼ lb blanched almonds coarsely ground
• ¼ lb sesame seeds (unsalted)
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp icing sugar

Syrup

• 3 cups sugar
• 4 cups water
• juice of ¼ lemon
• 1 piece orange peel
• 1 piece lemon peel
• ½ cup liquid honey

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Prepare mixture for filling.
3. Butter lightly an 11 inch x 16 inch baking pan, which has some depth.
4. The pastry sheets are usually about this size.
5. Place 6 sheets, sprinkling each with melted butter, in the bottom of pan.
6. Set aside 6 sheets for the top.
7. Proceed to pile remaining sheets, each sprinkled with butter, in pan, alternating with nut mixture.
8. Place last 6 sheets on top, sprinkling with butter only.
9. Bake for about one hour or until lightly browned.
10. To complete baklava: when baked, remove from oven and allow to cool slightly; cut in diamond-shaped pieces and pour syrup over all while both are at a warm temperature.