Baklava

In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the filling, that is, the nuts and the spices.  Select an ovenproof dish according to the dimensions of your phyllo sheets, and grease bottom and sides well with melted butter.  Layer the first 5 phyllo sheets to form the base.  Each sheet must be brushed well, but lightly, with melted butter, before layering the next phyllo sheet on top of it.  With a spoon, sprinkle over the whole surface of the phyllo some of the filling mixture.  Continue layering each sheet of phyllo, brushing it with butter and sprinkling with nuts, until you have 4-5 sheets left.

Finish off the baklava by layering the last 4-5 sheets. With a sharp knife, score through the top layers of the baklava, either in a diamond grid, or square portions.

Pour more melted butter over the surface of the baklava, and sprinkle it well with cold water.  Bake in a preheated oven, at 180 degrees, for approximately 50 minutes, until golden.

Let the ingredients for the syrup come to boil, and cook for 5 minutes.  As soon as the baklava is done and taken out of the oven, pour the hot syrup over, spoon by spoon, making sure the whole baklava is well saturated.  Let stand to allow the syrup to be absorbed, but do not cover, to ensure the baklava remains crispy.