Citrus Baklava

I love the zestiness of this version of baklava. Plus, it's a great way to use a little of that fresh Florida fruit we usually receive during the holidays.

4 cups walnuts, finely chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 cup orange juice
1 Tbs. grated tangerine peel

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix nuts, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, orange juice and tangerine peel. Set aside.

Pastry Ingredients:

1 lb. phyllo pastry sheets (usually comes in two 8-oz. rolls of 20 sheets each)
2 sticks butter, melted

Preparation:

Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with butter. Unroll the first roll of phyllo pastry sheets. Lay two sheets of phyllo in the bottom of the pan. Lightly brush the top layer with melted butter. Add two more sheets and brush the top with butter. Continue adding sheets two at a time until you've laid down a total of 18. (You may want to keep the pastry covered with a damp paper towel prevent them from drying out.)

Spoon half the nut mixture evenly across the top layer of phyllo. Add four more sheets, two at a time as before on top of the nut mixture. Spoon the remainder of the nut mixture on top of that.

Continue building the baklava with the remaining phyllo sheets, two at a time, brushing the top of each pair with melted butter. Drizzle any remaining butter over the top.
With a sharp knife, make five lengthwise cuts, cutting through only the top layers. Do not cut through the nut mixture. Make a series of diagonal cuts to form diamonds, again cutting only through the top layers. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, then at 300 for 40 minutes until golden.

While the baklava is baking, make the syrup.

Syrup Ingredients:

2 cups water
2 cups sugar
juice of half lemon
1/2 cup honey
grated rind of one tangerine
1 cinnamon stick

Preparation:

Combine the syrup ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Allow to boil gently for about 10 minutes, then reduce the heat, and let simmer until syrup begins to thicken. Set aside to cool. Remove the cinnamon stick.

Pour the cooled syrup over the hot baklava. With a sharp knife, cut the baklava along the scoring marks, slicing through to the bottom. This dish is best if made a day ahead of serving.