Honey & Blood Orange Bakalava

Ingredients: 
  • 1 lb. phyllo dough .

For the filling:​
​For the syrup:
  • 1 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 cup fresh squeezed blood orange juice
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 NHHS Cinnamon stick
  • 2" strip of blood orange zest
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan with Blood Orange Oil.

.Pulse the nuts with the sugar, orange zest and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor until finely chopped.
​
Unroll and cut the phyllo sheets in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, brush with blood orange olive oil thoroughly. Repeat the process until there are 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, blood orange olive oil, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.

Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into four long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake in the center of the oven for approximately 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.

Make the syrup while baklava is baking. In a heavy saucepan, bring the water, sugar, and blood orange juice to a boil. Add honey, cinnamon stick and orange peel and simmer for about 20 minutes longer.

Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it and allow to cool. 
​​Enjoy!