Toni Grove, our resident herbalist and nursery worker, came to work with her FAMOUS Baklava for a goodbye party for our longtime staff member Nancy. She made it with lavender!! It was fabulous!
Recipe
Filling
4 C Finely Ground Walnuts
1/3 C Sugar
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 C finely ground lavender
1/2 Lb. melted butter
1 pkg filo dough
Syrup
1 C sugar
1 C water
1/4 C honey
1/4 tsp Cinnamon (optional)
Assembling
Preheat oven to 350º
Lay the filo dough leaves in the bottom of a lasagna pan, buttering (use basting brush dipped in melted butter) every other leaf until you have a layer of about 6 or 8 leaves. Mix together the ground walnuts, 1/3 C sugar and 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Spread 1/3 of the mixture evenly over the filo layer. Lay two more filo leaves over the filling you just put on and butter the top filo layer. Spread 1/3 more of the filling, spread evenly, and another layer of two filo leaves with butter on top. Spread final third of mixture and top with the remaining filo leaves, buttering every other one.
Bake for 45 minutes
Take out of oven, or turn off oven and let it cool in the oven.
When cool, slice in your desired shapes. You’ll now need to make the syrup. Heat in microwave for two minutes on high: one cup sugar, one cup water, and 1/4 honey. Stir well until everything is dissolved. Pour over your nicely cut baklava.