Pamela's Baklava

This recipe comes from Rosemary Tedesco, the woman I took cooking lessons from in San Jose. It is the best baklava I've ever eaten.

1 pound filo dough
1 pound chopped walnuts
9 tablespoons sugar
3/4 to 1 pound butter
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Syrup:

Combine 2 cups water, 2 cups sugar, 1 cinnamon stick, 1/2 whole lemon; let boil for 15 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons honey and boil for 5 more minutes. Set aside.

Pastry:

Chop nuts and mix with cinnamon and sugar. Melt 2 sticks butter. Melt addtional butter as needed. Brush inside of 13 x 9 inch pan with butter. Line bottom of pan with 12 sheets of filo dough brushing each sheet lightly with butter before placing in pan. Keep remainder of filo dough covered with a damp towel when not using. On 12th sheet sprinkle light with nut mixture. Continue layering covering each nut layer with 2 butter sheets of filo dough, until you have 6 layers of nuts. Put 12 buttered sheets on top of last layer of nuts. Cut into small diamond shapes. Bake at 325 degrees until golden brown, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from oven and immediately pour cooled syrup slowly over pan. Allow to remain in pan until all syrup has soaked up.

Makes 4-5 dozen