Baklava Walnut Honey Layers

In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups granulated sugar, 1 cup water, and 1 tbsp lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes until it slightly thickens. Remove the syrup from heat and stir in the orange blossom water, if using. Set aside to cool completely.

In a separate medium bowl, combine the finely chopped walnuts, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and 1 tsp ground cinnamon. Mix these ingredients thoroughly until the walnuts are evenly coated with the sugar and spice mixture.

Preheat your oven to 350F (175C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan with some of the melted butter. Unroll the phyllo dough and keep it covered with a damp cloth to prevent it from drying out. Lay one sheet of phyllo dough into the prepared pan and brush it generously with melted butter. Repeat this process with 8-10 more sheets of phyllo, buttering each layer individually.

Evenly spread half of the prepared walnut mixture over the buttered phyllo layers in the pan. Place another 8-10 sheets of phyllo on top of the walnut layer, brushing each sheet generously with melted butter as you go. Spread the remaining walnut mixture evenly over these buttered phyllo layers.

Top the second walnut layer with the remaining phyllo sheets, ensuring you brush each one generously with melted butter. Make sure the very top layer is well coated with butter. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut the baklava into your desired diamond or square shapes, cutting all the way through to the bottom of the pan.

Bake the baklava in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until it turns a beautiful golden brown and is crispy. Immediately after removing the hot baklava from the oven, slowly and evenly pour the completely cooled syrup over the entire surface. Allow the baklava to cool completely at room temperature for several hours, or ideally overnight, for the syrup to fully soak in and for the layers to become perfectly crisp.