Sandra Hill's Baklava

Prepare a syrup by cooking together 1 1/2 cups of water, not quite 2 cups of sugar, and 1 tbsp of lemon juice. Let this cool. Or use the same amount of thinned honey. Either way the baklava has a honey flavor.

Melt two sticks of butter. Open a box of filo dough and spread it out carefully. Using a long baking pan, lay down each leaf of filo dough and brush butter on every bit of it. When you get halfway done, put the filling in, then continue buttering each layer. Do not butter the last layer.

The filling consists of ground walnuts, cinnamon, cardamon, and 1/2 cup of sugar, amounts determined by personal taste.

Before baking, cut it with a sharp knife on the diagonal, forming diamond pieces. You can use the filo dough box as a ruler. Carefully pour off the excess butter.

Bake at 300 degrees for an hour or more, or until brown.

While the baklava is still warm, pour the cooled syrup over it

This very rich dessert is great for a summer picnic, or at Xmas time when holiday baking.