An ideal and good end to a delicious meal is a creative dessert.

Although most Lebanese and Syrians prefer to eat fresh fruit after a hardly meal, certain desserts or sweets are expected to follow.

Furthermore, sweets are often served separately for occasions and celebrations; for example, “moughlie” is served when a baby is born at Christmas to symbolize the birth of Jesus.
Lebanese and Syrian desserts and sweets are so tempting that while making them, you can not wait to dive into them with a renewed appetite. The sweets are popular and pleasing to the palate.

24 pastry sheets (filo pastry)
½ pkg of sweet butter or ghee or half half filling: 1 lb. pistachios
½ c sugar
Butter
1 t cinnamon
Optional - 1t cloves
1t rose water
Or 1 lb. chopped walnuts
1 t cloves
½ c sugar
Cinnamon
½ t rose water and ½ t orange blossom water.

Syrup: 2 c sugar to 1 c water. Cook over low flame. When thickens, remove from fire, add lemon juice, and orange blossom.

1. Prepare filling. Set aside.

Hint: I do not add cloves or cinnamon to pistachio filling.

2. In baking dish greased with butter, place a sheet of filo paper and brush with softened butter - do same for each of the 12 filo sheets. Then, cover with nut mixture over entire surface. Repeat buttering 12 more layers of filo paper.

3. Then cut into all layers to form a pattern of diamond shape pieces. Bake in slow oven – 250 degrees – until golden brown.
Remove from oven and pour syrup all over the Baklawa. Serve when cool.