Walnut Bacon Baklava with Vanilla Orange Blossom Syrup

Plump Raisins and Make Syrup

1. Plump the raisins in warm water, about 160 with two of the vanilla beans for 12 minutes. After letting them cool, drain the raisins, chop coarsely and reserve them.

2. Combine the “raisin plumping water” water, 2 vanilla beans in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then let cool to room temperature. Add the orange blossom water and reserve.

Make Walnut-bacon Raisin Filling

1. In a saute pan or oven, cook the bacon in batches until crisp. Drain well.

2. Strain bacon fat (measure 115gm/4oz and save remaining for other uses). Whisk together measured (115 gm) bacon fat and all melted butter, set-aside with a brush.

3. In a food processor, finely chop walnuts and combine with plumped-chopped raisins and hand chopped the slightly cooled bacon to a small-medium size.

Assemble and Bake

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F / 205° C.

2. Test the size of the phyllo dough, trim it to fit inside the dimension of the pan, then trim all remaining sheets to match. Reserve covered so the dough does not dry out.

3. Use bacon fat/butter mixture to brush 2 inch half hotel pan (12 ¾ x 10 ½ inches / 32×27 cm).

4. Lay a sheet of phyllo in the pan and brush with fat/butter. Repeat with 5 more phyllo sheets and butter. Then spread about one-third of the filling evenly over the phyllo.

5. Repeat this layering of 5 phyllo sheets and bacon filling two more times. Top with 5 buttered phyllo sheets, buttering the top layer well.

6. Cut the baklava into desired shapes with a small, sharp knife (slightly serrated helps cut easily).

7. Bake the baklava for 10 minutes at 400°F/205° C then turn the oven to 325°F and bake for 1 hour longer or until deeply browned.

8. Remove from the oven, then evenly pour the cooled syrup over the finished baklava and let it stand at room temperature, uncovered overnight.