Baklava (Lebanese)

Baklava is the pastry every Lebanese bakery stacks in glittering towers: layer upon layer of buttered phyllo cradling crushed pistachios or walnuts, baked until it shatters, then bathed in a syrup of sugar, honey, and lemon. It is served at weddings, holidays, and any visit worth celebrating, and every family has opinions about the nut-to-phyllo ratio.

Flaky, honeyed layers that shatter at the touch

Done properly, baklava is a study in contrasts: impossibly thin, crisp layers that crackle, a filling of nuts that stays slightly coarse and toasty, and syrup that soaks through just enough to make it moist without weighing it down. The syrup should be poured cold over the hot pastry so the top stays shattery. A drop of rose or orange blossom water in the syrup gives it a perfumed finish. Cut it into diamonds while it is still warm, then let the whole pan rest — if you can wait, it only gets better overnight.

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