Coconut Baklava
By: Batya
Published: Saturday, May 14, 2011 - 11:24pm

Ingredients




1 pound Filo dough sheets
3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup unsalted butter
Syrup:
1/2 cup orange liqueur or amber rum
2 cups sugar
1 cup honey
1 cup water
1 Rind of lemon (optional)

Preparation

1 Defrost the filo dough overnight in the refrigerator. 2 Two hours before starting, remove the dough from the refrigerator, keep sealed in plastic bag, and let come to room temperature. 3 Preheat oven to 375°F. 4 Generously butter a 13x9x2-inch pan. 5 Then, unfold the filo and stack it on a clean work surface; trim with a sharp knife to fit the pan.  Reserve the cuttings. 6 Cover the stack of dough with a dampened towel. 7 Melt and clarify the butter. 8 Lay 2 sheets of dough in the pan; brush with melted butter. 9 Repeat 3 to 4 more times, 2 sheets of dough at a time, so you have 8 to 10 sheets buttered. 10 Then spread on the coconut, about ¼ of the total mixture. 11 Follow with 2 sheets dough, butter, and 2 more sheets. 12 Repeat another layer of coconut, then dough and butter, 2 at a time.  Repeat layers 2 more times until coconut is used up. 13 Top layer should be 8 to10 whole sheets, the same as the bottom layer, buttered between every two sheets and on top. 14 Push the edges down inside of the pan and cut into serving pieces with a sharp serrated knife; cut all the way to the bottom. 15 Mist the top with water and again after 30 minutes in the oven. 16 Bake 1 hour. 17 Meanwhile, bring all the syrup ingredients to boil in a small saucepan, stirring. 18 Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. 19 Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately pour on the warm syrup. It will soak in. 20 Cool and serve at room temperature.