Baklava

Yesterday I made some baklava (for the first time). Now this should be considered heresy, because it contains no chocolate, but it came out excellent (even Katerina thought so), so I will give you the recipe. You need phylo for baklava (very thin), 250 gr pistachio nuts, 250 gr butter, 500 gr sugar and 300 gr water. I used a 30 x 35 cm baking pan. First melt the butter and use a brush to apply on the pan. Then add one phylo at a time. After spreading phylo sheet on the pan, brush liberally with butter. Continue for 8 to 9 layers. Then add the crumbled nuts, then add 8 to 9 more layers of phylo. Very important: carve the pieces (all the way down) with a sharp knife before baking. Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 30 minutes at 180 degrees (Celcius), then uncover and bake for 30 more minutes at 160, until golden. Meanwhile prepare the syrup by boiling the sugar and water for 5-10 minutes. When the baking is over, pour the syrup (while hot). I calculated total calories at around 6500, so that comes out at approximately 270 calories per piece (24 servings). I include picture of final product. Of course, you may also have seen chocolate baklava! This is something I should try some other day.