Mix all the filling ingredients together and set aside.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan.

Butter a 12-inch (30 cm) baking pan. Lay down 1 sheet of phyllo dough and brush with butter. Add another sheet, brush with butter, then fold a third sheet in half and place it to cover just the bottom of the pan. This will give you 4 layers for the base. (Do not trim any phyllo that hangs over the edges.)

Spread about 3 tablespoons of the filling over the phyllo, then add a folded phyllo sheet and brush with butter. Continue layering in this way until you have 3 sheets left for the top.

Fold the overhanging phyllo edges inward around the pan. Place one folded sheet on top, then the remaining two sheets, brushing each with butter.

Do not cut off the excess phyllo; instead, tuck it all underneath to create nice, crispy corners. Pour any remaining butter over the top.

Cut the baklava into diamond shapes and bake at 350°F (180°C) with convection for 1 hour. Then cover with the pan lid or aluminum foil and bake for another 15 minutes at the same temperature.

While the baklava is baking, simmer the syrup ingredients in a saucepan over low heat for 5 minutes, uncovered. Remove from heat and set aside.

When the baklava is done, remove it from the oven and pour the syrup, which should be lukewarm, over the hot baklava. This temperature combination will give you a wonderfully crisp result!