Vegan Maple Baklava

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the bottoms and sides of a 9x13" inch pan.
2. Chop the nuts and toss them with the cinnamon then set aside. Unroll the phyllo dough and cut the whole stack in half to fit the pan. Cover the phyllo with a damp cloth to keep it from drying out while you work. Place two sheets of dough in the pan and spread with vegan margarine thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, margarine, and nuts layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 to 8 sheets deep.
3. Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows to make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until it is golden and crispy.
4.While the baklava is baking make the sauce. Boil the sugar and water until the sugar is melted then add the vanilla and maple syrup. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
5. Remove the baklava from oven and immediately pour the sauce over it then let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.
Source of recipe: This recipe was modified from a traditional Baklava recipe this really nice Greek couple used to make for us around Christmas time, I love Maple so I figured why not substitute the Honey for Maple Syrup.