John's Decadent Baklava

Begin by combining walnuts, pistachios, and cinnamon in a food processor bowl. Pulse the mixture on and off until it reaches your desired consistency, stopping just short of a smooth paste.

Next, prepare the baking pan by brushing its bottom with melted butter. Carefully place one round of phyllo dough into the pan, followed by a second layer. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of melted butter over the top phyllo sheet, and then add two more layers. Repeat this process three times, finishing with a layer of phyllo on top and drizzling it with butter. This will create the base layers for your baklava.

Now, sprinkle 1/3 of the nut mixture evenly over the top layer of phyllo. Place another sheet of phyllo on top, followed by a drizzle of melted butter. Repeat this process once more, adding another 1/3 of the nut mixture on top.

Next, cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for about 1 hour, allowing the layers to chill completely.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove the pan from the refrigerator and carefully cut it into approximately 12 diamond-shaped pieces.

Place the baklava pieces in a preheated oven and bake until they are golden brown and crispy, approximately 1 hour.

Meanwhile, combine sugar, honey, and cloves in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour in water and whisk to combine the ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove it from heat. Whisk in vanilla and orange blossom water.

Once the baklava has rested for 5 minutes, ladle the warm syrup over it. Allow the baklava to cool down to room temperature before serving.