• preheat the oven to 350F/180C
• melt 1/2 cup of the ghee until liquid in the microwave using a microwave-safe bowl or on the stove top. optional: add ground cardamom to the ghee to infuse while preparing the layers of dough
• grind 3/4 cup of pistachios in a food processor, optionally: with 2-3 cardamom pods (seeds taken out), until evenly ground into tiny pieces, almost powder-like. do not grind it too fine tho
• brush the baking sheet with the melted ghee
• layer approximately 30 sheets of yufka dough on the baking sheet
• brush the last, uppermost layer of dough with a thin layer of melted ghee all over the surface
• evenly sprinkle and spread the ground pistachio all alongside the center and edges
• layer another piece of the pastry dough. brush the top entirely with ghee and repeat this process (dough + ghee) until you have layered approximately 30 layers of dough (this makes it rise). you may have leftover ghee, use this for the next step
• carefully cut the dough into even pieces, any size you desire, with a sharp knife. ensure all edges and bottoms are cut through. brush/pour any remaining ghee atop the baklava evenly, getting in the cut edges and around the pan.
• place into the oven for anywhere between 35-50 mins. you want the tops to be a golden brown

syrup

• combine 1 and 1/4 cup of granulated sugar with 1 cup of water in a pot over medium heat.
• once melted, add the juice of half a lemon
• continue to simmer the mixture until reduced and thickened into a syrup. your simple syrup is done, keep it hot until the baklava is ready

assembly

• once the baklava has baked, take it out. for the crispiest baklava, immediately pour about half of the syrup all over the hot baklava carefully. it should bubble and fizzle. the baklava should absorb the syrup shortly and once it does, pour more of the syrup. let sit for 1-2 hours to absorb and cool. then, enjoy!!