Peter Sottery stirs butter as it melts on the stove for baklava at his home in Cape Elizabeth on Tuesday, December 2, 2014. The baklava recipe is his mother’s. Sottery had a tradition of making baklava with her during the holiday season.

Sottery mixes ingredients for his baklava recipe.

Sottery uses melted butter in a spray bottle to butter between sheets of phyllo dough.

Sottery layers phyllo dough in a pan.

Sottery makes slices through dough while making his baklava.

The pan of baklava is golden brown when it comes out of the oven.

Sottery delicately removes the baklava from the pan.

Sottery's plated finished product.