PUMPKIN BAKLAVA

Eric gave me this recipe years ago, and I made it once.  When I showed it to Logan this Christmas, he who loves all things pumpkin decided to make it.  He did it all, but I stood beside him keeping the filo dough covered with a damp cloth while he did the layers.  The recipe isn't difficult at all but dealing with filo dough can be tricky.  It is important to immediately cover it with a damp cloth the minute you take one sheet off.  We all enjoyed it but I am guessing it will be a while before Logan makes it again.  If you are a lover of baklava this is an excellent recipe.  You could omit the pumpkin puree and have traditional baklava.

For the pastry:
½ pack phyllo dough (We ended up using the whole package.)
¼ lb. butter, melted
2 cups mixed nuts (walnuts, pistachios, or almonds or a combination of them)
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon, nutmeg and/or cardamom

For the syrup;
2 cups sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
1 T. whole cloves
2/3 cup honey
pumpkin puree

Phyllo dough is hard to work with--it dries out extremely quickly, so it's helpful to cover it with a damp cloth to keep some of the moisture in it while you're working. You'll need a pastry brush to make the baklava.

Finely chop the nuts - walnuts, pistachio or almonds. To the ground nuts, add a generous pinch of sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg or even cardamom. Set aside.

Assemble the baklava by buttering (with the pastry brush) and laying sheets of phyllo inside a baking dish. When you have about 10 layers., sprinkle 1/3 of the nuts evenly over the phyllo. Repeat 3 more times, and then cover to the brim with more sheets of buttered phyllo. Cut the baklava into triangles.

Bake at 350 for at least 45 minutes or until all golden brown. While it is baking, make your syrup...

Combine sugar, 2/3 cup water, cinnamon sticks (or 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon), a small handful of cloves (or a teaspoon ground), and 3-4 hearty spoonfuls of pumpkin puree and melt over heat, until it bubbles nicely for about 5 - 10 minutes. Remove from heat and swirl in honey until dissolved. Put through a strainer and set aside. When the baklava is cooked, pour over the syrup. Careful with this recipe - you may not need absolutely all of it. Allow to stand for 8 hours, if you can stand it. :)

FYI: Don't keep baklava in the fridge because that will dry it out. You can keep it out covered on the counter for up to 8 days. (We kept ours almost 2 weeks, and it was still okay.)