¾ cup Butter, divided (4 T for the Phyllos, 4 T for the topping, 4 T for the glaze)
1 batch sugar cookie dough (it's easy to double the recipe for cookies and reserve half the dough, or you could use a mix or even, gasp, refrigerated dough)
1½ cups chopped walnuts
⅓ cup white sugar
1½ tsp cinnamon, divided
⅔ cup honey
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
Juice from ½ lemon
Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Melt 4 Tablespoons of the butter, and lay the phyllo sheets out on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or silpat, brushing each sheet with melted butter before adding the next. Phyllo can be intimidating to work with, but it 100% does not matter here if it bunches or tears - we are going to crumble it all up, anyway. Brush the last sheet with the remaining melted butter, and pop it in the oven until the phyllo is golden brown - 10-15 minutes.
Reduce oven heat yo 350. Press the cookie dough into a greased 10x14 rectangular pan. Bake 15 minutes, until just starting to color, and remove from oven to cool.
Crumble the phyllo sheets into a medium bowl. Add the walnuts, white sugar, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and 4 T of the butter, softened, and mix to combine. Spread this mixture over the par baked cookie dough, And bake 18 minutes longer. Remove from oven.
Meanwhile, in a small, microwave safe bowl, combine remaining 4 T butter, remaining ½ tsp cinnamon, lemon juice, brown sugar and honey. Microwave 1 minute or until the mixture is bubbly (this can also be done on the stovetop. Pour the glaze evenly over the cookies still in the pan. Let cool thoroughly, and cut into triangles.
These actually keep remarkably well - over a week. Makes 48 cookies.
Recipe by The Domestic Front at https://www.thedomesticfront.com/baklava-bars/