Hoda’s Mom’s Honey-Soaked Baklava

This recipe is a labor—with many, many layers—of love. Sweet, nutty, syrupy, and flaky, Hoda’s mom Sami’s baklava defines her childhood. “I can remember, ever since I was little, walking into the kitchen and watching her meticulously lay out the layers of that phyllo dough,” she says. “It was mesmerizing to me.” When Hoda first started working at TODAY, her mom said, “I’m going to make it for