Baklava has to be one of my favorites, but coupled with chocolate, there's no doubt! This is much easier to make than it looks.

Ingredients

3/4 Cup honey
1/2 Cup water
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1 Cup hazelnut chocolate spread (such as Nutella)
1/2 Cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 Cup roasted pistachios, coarsely chopped
1/3 Cup blanched toasted almonds, coarsely chopped $
1/3 Cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
24 (14 x 9-inch) sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions:

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan over low heat and stir until honey dissolves. Increase heat to medium; cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 230° (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat; keep warm. Discard cinnamon stick.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place hazelnut chocolate spread in a microwave safe bowl; microwave on high for 30 seconds or until melted. Combine hazelnuts and next 5 ingredients (through salt).

Lightly coat a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

Note: Because phyllo sheets are thin and delicate, handle with care so you won't tear the sheets. Keep the sheets you are not working with covered so it won't dry out.

Working with 1 phyllo sheet at a time (cover remaining dough to prevent drying), place 1 phyllo sheet lengthwise in bottom of prepared pan, allowing ends of sheet to extend over edges of dish; lightly brush with butter. Repeat procedure with 5 phyllo sheets and butter.

Drizzle about 1/3 cup melted hazelnut chocolate spread over phyllo. Sprinkle evenly with one-third of nut mixture (about 1/2 cup). Repeat procedure twice with phyllo, butter, hazelnut-chocolate spread, and nut mixture. Top last layer of nut mixture with remaining 6 sheets phyllo, each lightly brushed with butter. Press gently into pan.

Make 3 lengthwise cuts and 5 crosswise cuts to form 24 portions using a sharp knife. Bake at for 35 minutes or until phyllo is golden. Remove from oven. Drizzle honey mixture over baklava. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cover and store at room temperature.

When I make this, it's hard to not spend a half hour eating up the little bits that remain in the pan after the baklava's been packaged and put away.

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