Baklava

Ingredients

• •Phyllo pastry
• •Pistachios
• •Butter
• •Sugar
• •Water
• •Lemon juice

Steps

1. 1Melt butter and brush it generously over the base of a wide baking tray.
2. 2Layer sheets of thin phyllo pastry into the tray one at a time, brushing melted butter between every couple of sheets, building up about half the total layers.
3. 3Finely chop pistachios and spread an even layer of them across the buttered phyllo base.
4. 4Continue layering the remaining phyllo sheets on top, brushing butter between each one, finishing with a well-buttered top layer.
5. 5Using a sharp knife, cut the assembled pastry into diamond or square shapes, cutting all the way through to the bottom of the tray.
6. 6Bake in a moderate oven for about forty minutes, until the top turns deep golden brown and crisp.
7. 7While the baklava bakes, dissolve sugar in water with a squeeze of lemon juice and simmer it into a light syrup.
8. 8Pour the hot syrup evenly over the baklava as soon as it comes out of the oven, letting it soak in fully as the pastry cools before serving.