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1
Combine sugar and water in a 2 1/2- to 3-quart saucepan.
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2
Squeeze juice from lemon and orange into sugar mixture.
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3
Add fruit halves and cinnamon sticks.
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4
Bring mixture to a boil over moderate heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved, then simmer 10 minutes.
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5
Stir in honey and return to a boil.
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6
Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
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7
Pour through a sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl, pressing hard on, then discarding, solids.
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8
Chill, uncovered, until cold, about 1 hour.
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9
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350F.
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10
Whisk together almonds, walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt until combined well.
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11
Generously brush a 13- by 9- by 2-inch glass baking dish with melted butter.
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12
Halve phyllo sheets crosswise and stack sheets.
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13
Keep stack covered with 2 overlapping sheets of plastic wrap and then a dampened clean kitchen towel.
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14
Lay 2 sheets of phyllo in bottom of baking dish and brush top sheet generously with butter.
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15
Continue to layer 2 sheets at a time, staggering sheets in each double layer slightly to cover bottom of dish, then brushing every second sheet generously with butter, until you have used 10 sheets of phyllo total.
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16
After brushing top layer of phyllo with butter, spread a rounded 1 1/2 cups of nut mixture over it.
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17
Drizzle with 2 tablespoons butter.
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18
Repeat layering 3 more times.
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19
Top with 10 more sheets of phyllo.
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20
(You will use 50 sheets of phyllo total.)
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21
Butter top and let baklava stand at room temperature to harden slightly (to facilitate cutting), 10 to 15 minutes.
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22
Using a sharp knife, cut baklava into 16 equal rectangles, then cut each piece in half diagonally.
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23
(Be sure to cut all the way through.)
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24
Bake baklava until golden, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
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25
Transfer dish to a rack to cool, then slowly pour cold syrup around edges of hot baklava, in between all cuts, and over top.
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26
Let stand at room temperature at least 8 hours.
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27
(Cover once baklava is at room temperature.)
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28
Do not chill.
