Chocolate Walnut Baklava

Makes 24 pieces

1 pound walnuts

12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

1 tablespoon freshly ground cinnamon

1 pound whole wheat phyllo dough

Two sticks of melted butter or 3/4 cup olive oil

1 ½ cups honey

Zest of one orange

¼ cup water or orange juice

24 whole cloves

Preheat oven to 350°.

Add the nuts, chocolate, and cinnamon to the food processor and pulse until the chocolate and nuts are finely chopped and the same size.

Unwrap the phyllo and cut in half. Cover with a slightly damp towel. Generously butter a 9-by-13-inch metal baking pan. Butter and stack 8 sheets of phyllo.  Ease the stack into the pan. Sprinkle about 2 cups of the filling over the phyllo. Butter and stack 4 more phyllo sheets and place over the filling. Sprinkle on another 2 cups of the filling. Top with 4 more buttered phyllo sheets and 2 cups of filling. Butter and stack 8 more phyllo sheets and place over the filling. Brush top layer of phyllo generously with butter. Using a ruler and a sharp knife, cut the baklava (through the top and bottom) into twelve 3-inch squares. Cut each square in half to make triangles. Pierce a clove into each piece.

Bake the baklava for 25 minutes on center rack of the oven. Then lower the oven temperature to 300° and bake for 35-45 minutes longer, until golden and cooked through.

While the baklava is baking add honey, orange zest and water into a small sauce pan. Heat on low for 2 minutes only (Heating honey over 110 degrees will cause the beneficial nutrients to disappear). Stir the honey mixture until well mixed. Immediately ladle the honey syrup over the hot baklava and let stand until completely cool, at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.