Baklava Walnut Honey Layers

In a medium saucepan, combine granulated sugar, water, honey, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat, stir in orange blossom water if using, and let it cool completely. The syrup must be cool before drizzling over hot baklava.

In a medium bowl, combine the finely chopped walnuts and ground cinnamon. Mix well to ensure the cinnamon is evenly distributed throughout the walnuts. Set aside.

Preheat your oven to 325F (160C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan with some of the melted butter. Keep the phyllo dough covered with a damp cloth while working to prevent it from drying out.

Place two sheets of phyllo dough in the bottom of the prepared pan, brushing generously with melted butter. Repeat this process, layering 8-10 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing every two sheets with butter. This forms the base layer.

Spread about one-third of the walnut mixture evenly over the buttered phyllo layers. Top with two more sheets of phyllo, buttering them. Repeat this layering process two more times, using another third of the walnuts each time, followed by two buttered phyllo sheets. You should have three layers of walnuts in total.

For the top layers, place the remaining 10-12 sheets of phyllo, brushing every two sheets generously with melted butter. Ensure the top layer is well-buttered. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the baklava into desired shapes (squares, diamonds, or triangles) all the way through to the bottom of the pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the baklava is golden brown and crispy. Keep an eye on it to prevent burning. If the top browns too quickly, you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil.

Immediately upon removing the baklava from the oven, slowly and evenly pour the cooled honey syrup over the hot baklava. You will hear a delightful sizzle as the hot pastry absorbs the cool syrup. Let the baklava cool completely at room temperature for several hours, or preferably overnight, before serving. This allows the syrup to fully penetrate and soften the layers.