Serves 25+
Syrup:
1½
cups honey
3
cups sugar
1 ½ tablespoon grated lemon rind
3
1" cinnamon sticks
Pastry & Filling:
1
pound phyllo pastry sheets
2
pounds almonds
1
teaspoon cinnamon
½
teaspoon cloves
¾ pound sweet butter, melted
Make syrup several hours ahead & refrigerate. Mix all ingredients & heat slowly until sugar has dissolved. Then bring to boil & boil 5 minutes (add water if overly thick but should be quite thick). Strain into large jar & refrigerate.
Chop almonds in blender, not too fine, though some will be ground to meal (chop only a handful at a time). Combine with spices.
Divide phyllo sheets into 2 parts, keeping both parts covered with a wrung out dish towel at all times. Brush bottom of 10½ x15½" pan with butter & lay on one pastry sheet. Butter top of sheet & fold over the overhanging half; butter new top (alternate the side of the fold on succeeding layers). Repeat with 2 more sheets. Continue, but now sprinkle ¼ cup almonds over each buttered layer. Repeat until all nuts are used, but reserve 3 pastry sheets for the top, laying them on the same as the bottom layers & amply buttering the top. Cut through as in diagram. Bake at 350º for 45 minutes, then at 400º for 15 minutes. Pour cold syrup over hot pastry & let stand overnight at least, to absorb (keeps 1 week).