Greek Phyllo Baklava with Pistachios and Almonds

Ingredients:

• 170 g blanched almonds
• 170 g raw or roasted walnuts
• 170 g raw or roasted pistachios
• 450 g filo dough (defrosted)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon rose water
• 1 cinnamon stick (13 cm long), broken into 2-3 pieces, or 2 tsp ground
• 225 gr. melted ghee
• For the syrup:
  1 and 1/4 cups honey
• 1 and 1/4 cups of water
• 1 and 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 piece (5 cm) fresh orange peel

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
   
   Place the cinnamon stick and allspice in a spice grinder and grind.
   
   Place almonds, walnuts, pistachios, sugar, and ground spices in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, but not to a paste or powder, about 15 times quickly.
   
   In a small spray bottle, mix water and rose water.
2. Cut the filo pastry sheets to fit a 33x23x5cm metal baking pan.
   
   Grease the bottom and sides of the pan with butter, place a sheet of phyllo dough on top, and grease it with butter. Repeat this process 9 more times, for a total of 10 sheets of phyllo dough. Spread 1/3 of the nut mixture on top in a thin layer.
   
   Sprinkle generously with rose water. Lay out 6 more sheets of filo pastry, brushing each with butter, then add another 1/3 of the nuts and sprinkle with rose water.
3. Repeat the process with 6 more sheets of filo pastry, the butter, the remaining nuts, and the rose water. Top the filling with 8 sheets of filo pastry, brushing each with butter. Generously grease the surface as well. Place the pan in the oven and bake the baklava for 30 minutes.
   
   Remove from the oven and cut into 28 squares. Return the pan to the oven and continue baking for another 30 minutes. Remove the baklava from the oven, place it on a wire rack, and cool for 2 hours, then drizzle with syrup.
4. Prepare the syrup, during the last 30 minutes of cooling the baklava. In a 4-quart saucepan, combine the honey, water, sugar, cinnamon stick, and orange peel and place over high heat. Stir occasionally until the sugar dissolves. Once the mixture comes to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and discard the orange peel and cinnamon stick.
5. Once the baklava has cooled for 2 hours, cut it again along the marked lines. Pour the hot syrup evenly over the surface of the dish, ensuring it penetrates the cuts and edges of the pan. Let it sit, uncovered, until completely cool. Cover and let it sit at room temperature for at least 8 hours or overnight before serving. Store, covered, at room temperature for up to 5 days.