Great for entertaining because you can make ahead, and it doesn’t require refrigeration. Note that The Fillo Factory fillo dough has no yeast and no hydrogenated fats, and it comes as spelt or whole wheat. It’s also non-dairy but then we go ahead and use all that butter… So can you use a non-hydrogenated margarine or one of my favorites, macadamia nut oil? Yes. Of course!

Note that Ah!Laska chocolate syrup and Tropical Source chocolate chips are dairy-free too, though I chose them because they taste great. Tropical Source chips were named #1 by Cook’s Illustrated!

Makes 18 large pieces	9x13 baking pan
2 c Tropical Source chocolate chips	1 c almond meal
6 c diced organic apples like braeburns	1# package The Fillo Factory spelt or whole wheat fillo
2 tb ground cinnamon	1 c honey
1 tsp cardamom	Ah!Laska chocolate syrup
2/3 c sweet organic butter or ghee

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Clear a large working surface so you’ve enough room for the unfolded fillo leaves and the 9x13 baking pan side by side. (Read the instructions on the package of fillo dough. You don’t want to unwrap before you’re ready to put together the baklava, for instance.)

In a bowl, combine chocolate chips, chopped apples, cinnamon and cardamom. Melt butter or ghee in a little flameproof measuring cup or saucepan. Have almond meal ready and on hand.

Take fillo out of package. Using a pastry brush, coat the pan with butter. Lay 1 fillo sheet folded in half crosswise on the pan, brush with butter and sprinkle with almond meal (it doesn’t have to be even or all over – just a quick grab with fingers and let fly over dough.) Repeat the whole process three times. Spread half the chocolate-apple mixture evenly over the top, leaving ¼ inch uncovered on all four edges. Layer 4 more doubled sheets of fillo, buttering and sprinkling almond meal on each layer. Cover with apple mixture and layer on remaining fillo sheets as before. Brush top with butter.

With a sharp knife, make two lengthwise cuts and five crosswise cuts so you have 18 rectangular pieces. Bake for 35-40 minutes. While baklava is still hot, cut all way through the scoring. Drizzle honey in cuts. Make a avant-garde design with Ah!Laska chocolate syrup. Done! Serve when you want at room temperature.