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Makes 20 pastries

Oven Temperature: 350°F (180°C), then reduce to 300°F (150°C)
Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Syrup:
2 1/2 C sugar
1 1/2 C water
rind of 1/2 lemon, thinly peeled
juice of 1/2 lemon

Nut Filling:
1 1/2 C blanched almonds, finely chopped
1 1/2 C blanched pistachio nuts, finely chopped
2 Tbl confectioner's sugar

Pastries:
20 sheets fillo pastry
2/4 C melted, unsalted butter

1. Combine sugar and water in a heavy saucepan. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally. Bring to a boil, add lemon rind and juice. Boil for 15 minutes without stirring. Cool and strain into a bowl. Chill.
2. Mix almonds and pistachio nuts together in a large bowl. Set aside about 1/3 of the nuts in a smaller bowl. Add the confectioner's sugar to the nuts in the large bowl.
3. Open the package of fillo pastry and put between two dry tea towels. Place a third tea towel (slightly moistened) on top of the dry tea towel to keep fillo dough fresh.
4. Pull off one sheet of fillo dough and spread it out on a wooden pastry board or marble countertop. Lightly brush the sheet with melted butter and fold it in half lengthwise. Brush the folded pastry with butter again and sprinkle 1 Tbl of the nut filling about 3/4 of an inch near the folded edge. Roll the pastry over the filling and continue rolling to within 1 1/2 inches of the other edge.
5. Lift the rolled pastry up with the flap hanging towards you and shape it into a ring that curls away from you. Tuck the loose edges of pastry under in the center of th ring to form a nest. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until all fillo pastry sheets have been used.
6. Place pastries in a buttered backing dish and brush the top of each nest with butter.
7. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes, reduce temperature to 300°F and bake for another 15 minutes, so that the fillo pastry cooks but does not over-brown.
8. Pour half of the chilled sugar and lemon mixure over the hot pastries. Let cool, then sprinkle some of the reserved nuts in the center of each pastry. Place pastries on a serving platter and put the reserved sugar and lemon syrup in a bowl with a spoon for individuals to add later if they choose.