Baklav Rounds -- recipe as it appear in 2012 Taste of Home Christmas cookbook edition

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Mycomplimentary copy of Taste of Home’s 2012Christmas Cookbook arrived about a month ago. A recipe I submitted appears onp. 121 and I am posting it below. It is a recipe that I prepared for aChristmas tea at the Kirby House restaurant several years ago.BaklavRounds Prep: 40 min.   Bake: 20 min. + standind   Yield: 32 cookies
In need of a sweet treat that Icould prepare ahead, I streamlined a recipe I found online. These crispy, flakylittle rounds were the result. They were a big hit at an elegant tea Icatered. Meta West * Abilene, Kansas                                                           
1 cup suagr¾ cup water 10 orange peel strips (1 to 3inches)
Filling:  1½ cups walnut pieces   ½  cup  slivered almonds   ¼ cup sugar   1 teaspoon almond extract  ½  teaspoon ground cinnamon    ½  teaspoon ground cloves
18 sheets phyllo (fillo) dough (14-inch x9-inch sheet size) ¾ cup butter, melted
     In a large saucepan, bring the sugar,water and orange rind (or substitute orange syrup); bring to boil. Reduce heatto medium-low and simmer for 30-35 minutes or until thickened. Strain anddiscard peel; set aside.      In food processor, combine the  walnuts, almonds, sugar, almond extract,cinnamon and cloves; process until finely chopped.      Place one sheet of phyllo on work surface,brush with butter. (Keep remaining phyllo covered with plastic wrap and a damptowel to prevent it from drying out.) Sprinkle with about 1/3 cup of the nutmixture. Repeat layers twice.      Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with along side. Brush roll with butter. Trim edges. Cut into 16 slices, about ¾ in.each. Repeat with ramining phyllo, butter and filling.     Bake in 350 oven for 10 minutes, Gentlyturn cookies over; bake 10-15 mintues longer or until golden brown. Cool for 5minutes before removing from pans to wireracks over waxed paper.     Spoon half of the syrup over cookies. Letstand for 15 minutes. Drizzle with remaining syrup. Cool completely.
TO MAKE AHEAD: Prepare as direted.Freeze in a single layer on sawec paper-lined baking sheet. Once frozen,package in freezer bags, separating layers with waxed paper. Theaw in a singlelayer before serving.
Links to my other recipes forappeared in previous Taste of Home’s holiday cookbook:2011 edition — Polenta Spoons with Caramelized Mushrooms2010 edition —Mini Cheese Balls