Yia Yia'S Baklava - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Syrup:
2 cups water
2 cups white sugar
4 whole cloves
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 lemon, juiced, divided
Filling:
1 pound finely chopped walnuts
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted, or more as needed
20 sheets phyllo dough

Preparation

Stir together water, 2 cups sugar, cloves, cinnamon stick, and 1/2 the lemon juice together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until flavor blends and syrup consistency is reached, about 15 minutes. Stir remaining 1/2 the lemon juice into syrup. Strain and refrigerate until cool, at least 30 minutes.
Stir walnuts, 1 cup sugar, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a bowl.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Brush butter on the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch glass baking dish.
Lay the phyllo dough out on a clean, dry surface and cover it with plastic wrap. Cover the plastic wrap with a damp towel.
Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough in prepared baking dish and lightly brush with butter. Lay another 1 sheet of phyllo dough on top, brush with butter. Repeat layering and brushing with butter with 4 more sheets of phyllo dough.
Gently spread 1/3 the walnut mixture in an even layer over the phyllo dough in the baking dish. Place a sheet of phyllo dough over the walnut mixture and brush it with butter. Repeat layering and buttering with 3 more sheets of dough.
Spread another 1/3 the walnut mixture in an even layer over the phyllo dough in the baking dish. Place a sheet of phyllo dough over the walnut mixture and brush it with butter. Repeat layering and buttering with 3 more sheets of dough.
Spread the remaining 1/3 walnut mixture in an even layer over the phyllo dough in the baking dish. Place a sheet of phyllo dough over the walnut mixture and brush it with butter. Repeat layering and buttering with the remaining 5 sheets of dough. Cut baklava into 1-inch diamonds.
Bake in the preheated oven until lightly golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes.
Pour cooled syrup over baked baklava and cool for 1 day to absorb syrup.