• Melt butter and set aside.
• Blitz walnuts and cinnamon in a small food processor or chop by hand to fine crumbs. Reserve 2 tablespoons for topping, and set all aside.

Assembly

• Preheat oven to 350°F. (177°C.)
• On a clean surface, lay out phyllo dough sheets and brush top layer with butter, then sprinkle evenly with cinnamon nut mixture.
• On edge of pastry closest to you, lay a long, thin wooden dowel horizontally on top of the walnut mixture. Gently lift one sheet of dough, wrap it around dowel to secure, then roll completely to end of pastry piece. Leave dowel at end of sheets.
• Brush another layer with butter and lift previously rolled dough on the one layer closet to you and roll one more time. You will use a total of 2 sheets of phyllo dough per roll.
• Place seam side down on working surface and using both hands on either end of dowel, squish the two ends together to make the crinkled baklava.
• Using one hand, push one end of the crinkled baklava until it slides off dowel and into an 8”x8” baking pan. NOTE: You will need TWO square baking pans to fit all of the baklava rolls. Repeat steps 2-5 until all phyllo sheets are used are prepared rolls are in baking pans.
• Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.

Syrup

• While the dessert is baking, add the syrup ingredients to a saucepan and boil for 10 minutes, stirring often. Cool for 10 minutes.
• Remove baked dessert from oven and rest 10 minutes. Pour syrup evenly over baklava rolls, sprinkle chopped walnuts on top, and allow to rest for 1 hour before slicing. I typically get 5 rolls per 8x8" pan and cut each roll into thirds for 15 pieces each pan.