Pecan Bourbon Baklava

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 lb pecans, lightly toasted (see Tips)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 9 (17 by 12-inch) sheets phyllo dough, thawed if frozen
• 3/4 cup mild honey (preferably acacia)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 5 whole cloves
• 3 (3-inch) strips lemon zest
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp bourbon, divided
• Accompaniments: vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream, fresh figs and cherries

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 375 ̊F with rack in the middle. Lightly brush a 13 by 9-inch baking pan with melted butter.

2. 2

   Pulse pecans, sugar, and cinnamon in a food processor until finely chopped.

3. 3

   Cut phyllo sheets in half crosswise, forming 18 (12 by 8 1/2-inch) sheets, then arrange in 1 stack and cover with plastic wrap.

4. 4

   Keeping remaining phyllo covered and working quickly, place 1 sheet on a work surface and gently brush with butter. Top with another sheet and brush with butter. Continue layering until you have a stack of 6 buttered sheets. Transfer stack to the baking dish and sprinkle with one-third of the pecan mixture. Build a second stack of 3 phyllo sheets, buttering between each layer. Transfer to a baking dish sprinkle with half of remaining pecan mixture. Repeat with another stack of 3 buttered sheets and sprinkle with remaining pecan mixture. Top with a stack of 6 buttered sheets.

5. 5

   Score pastry with a sharp knife in quarters lengthwise, then score on a diagonal making 6 cuts about 2 inches apart to create a diamond pattern.

6. 6

   Bake baklava 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 ̊F until top is golden, 40-45 minutes more.

7. 7

   Bring honey, sugar, water, cloves, zest, and 1/4 cup bourbon to a simmer in a small pot, stirring until sugar and honey have dissolved. Remove from heat and let stand while baklava finishes baking.

8. 8

   When baklava has finished baking, transfer in pan to a rack. Boil syrup until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in remaining 2 Tbsp bourbon. Discard zest and cloves and pour hot syrup to be absorbed and flavors to develop. Cut into diamonds by cutting lengthwise into fourths, then diagonally across.