Filling:
1½ c. chopped, toasted almonds*
¾ c. chopped walnuts or hazelnuts
1+ c. chopped dark chocolate (about 5-6 oz.)
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1 T. vanilla extract
1½ t. cinnamon
1 package frozen phyllo dough (about 30 sheets or 1 pound)
1 ¼ c. butter, melted (it may be helpful to leave it in a small saucepan over very low heat as you work)
Syrup:
1/4 c. water
1/3 c. honey
1/3 c. sugar
Thaw phyllo dough as instructed on package (this usually takes a few hours in the refrigerator). Follow instructions on package for handling dough so that it doesn’t dry out – as I recall, it’s something like unroll dough and lay on a sheet of plastic wrap, cover with another sheet of plastic wrap, and lay a damp tea towel over that. Cut stack of sheets to fit the bottom of a 9”x13” pan (or your pan). Use a pastry brush to brush bottom of pan with melted butter. Lay on a sheet of phyllo and brush with butter. Repeat until you have laid in one third of the sheets. Spread half the filling in the pan. Drizzle with a small amount of butter. Add another third of the sheets, brushing each with butter as you go. Spread the rest of the filling… a little butter… and finish up with the last third of the phyllo. With a sharp knife, carefully cut the pan of baklava lengthwise into five strips. Gently score the strips diagonally into small diamond-shaped pieces. Drizzle any remaining butter on top.
Bake in a 325° F oven for 1 hour, or until golden.
When baklava is just out of the oven, make the syrup. Combine water, honey and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes. Cool slightly and pour over warm baklava. Cool completely and finish cutting into diamonds.
* If starting with raw almonds, chop them first, then put on a cookie sheet under the broiler in the oven, WATCH THEM CONSTANTLY AND STIR OFTEN.
