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Southern Bourbon Pecan Baklava

Southern bourbon pecan baklava layered with buttery phyllo and cinnamon pecans, finished with a rich honey bourbon syrup.
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Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Filling
  • 2 cups pecans finely chopped
  • ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp salt
Phyllo Layers
  • 1 package phyllo dough 16 oz, thawed
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • Cooking spray or butter for greasing pan
Bourbon Syrup
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 2 Tbsp bourbon
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • Optional 1 strip orange zest

Method
 

Make the Bourbon Syrup:
  1. Combine sugar, water, honey, lemon juice, cinnamon stick, and orange zest in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Simmer 8–10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in bourbon. Let cool to room temperature. Remove cinnamon and zest before using.
Prepare the Filling:
  1. In a bowl, mix chopped pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
Preheat Oven & Prep Phyllo:
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan. Trim phyllo sheets into circles if needed. Simply lay pan on top of phyllo and with a sharp knife follow the edge cutting all the way through. Once finished cover the phyllo with a damp cloth.
Layer the Phyllo (Bottom):
  1. Place 1 sheet in the pan and brush with melted butter. Repeat until you’ve layered 8 sheets, buttering each.
Add Filling Layer 1:
  1. Sprinkle ⅓ of pecan mixture evenly.
Middle Phyllo Layer:
  1. Add 4 more phyllo sheets, buttering each one.
Add Filling Layer 2:
  1. Sprinkle another ⅓ of the pecan mixture.
Top Phyllo Layer:
  1. Add 4 more sheets, buttering each. Add final ⅓ of the pecan mix. Top with 8 more phyllo sheets, buttering each.
Cut:
  1. Cut baklava into 12 or 16 wedges using a sharp knife,
Bake:
  1. Bake at 350°F for 50–60 minutes or until golden and crisp.
Add Syrup:
  1. Immediately after removing from oven, slowly pour cooled syrup over the hot baklava, making sure it gets into all the cuts. Use all the syrup.
Cool & Serve:
  1. Let baklava cool completely (at least 4 hours or overnight) before serving.