Baklava (Greek)

Saveur Magazine (January 1998)

quantity	ingredient
5 cups	finely chopped blanched almonds
1/3 cup	finely ground bread crumbs
4.5 cups	sugar
1.25 teaspoons	ground cinnamon
40 sheets	phyllo (about 2 lbs.)
1 pound	butter, melted
2 teaspoon	fresh lemon juice
1	cinnamon stick
2 cups	water
2 sheets	parchment paper

Preheat the over to 300 degrees (F).
Combine almonds, bread crumbs, 1/2 cup sugar, and ground cinnamon in a large bowl.
Unwrap phyllo and trim to fit an 11"x15"x2" baking pan. Cover phyllo with a damp dish towel.
Butter pan.
Place 1 sheet of phyllo in pan. Brush with butter.
Place a second sheet of phyllo over the first and brush with butter. Then evenly sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of almond mixture.
Spead a sheet of phyllo out on a clean work surface, brush with butter, then transfer (butter side up) to the pan. (The nuts make it difficult to butter the phyllo in the pan.)
Evenly sprinkle with almond mixture.
Set aside two sheets of phyllo for the top.
Continue alternating almond mixture and single buttered sheets of phyllo.
Use reserved sheets of phyllo, spearated only by butter, to cover baklava.
Brush top with butter and arrange pan with short side towards you.
Cut across baklava with a serrated knife at about 2" intervals. You should have about 8 equal strips.
Sprinkle top with water.
Cover top with 2 sheets of parchment paper and bake until golden (about 1.5 hours).
Heat remaining sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon stick, and 2 cups of water in a sauce pan over medium heat. Simmmer for 15 minutes, cool, and discard cinnamon stick.
Remove baklava from oven and discard parchment paper.
Pour syrup over entire surface. Tilt the pan so the syrup can reach all the corners.
Set baklava aside for 2 hours to cool.
Finish cutting baklava on the diagonal for the traditional diamond shape or cut into squares.

Notes:
Makes 35-45 pieces.
You may substitute almonds for pistachios.