Easy Baklava

Ingredients

• 2 cups finely chopped walnuts
• 2 cups granulated sugar, divided
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 28 phyllo pastry sheets
• 1 1/4 cups salted butter, melted
• 1 cup liquid honey
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Combine walnuts, 1 cup sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl; set aside. 
2. Place one pastry sheet on a flat surface; brush with butter. Top with another sheet and brush with butter. Repeat process with 2 more sheets. Leaving a 1 inch edge, place 1/3 cup of nut mixture along one short end of pastry. Fold long edges in and over filling. Roll up, jelly-roll fashion, starting at filling end. Brush with butter and place, seam side down, on a jelly-roll pan. Repeat with remaining pastry and nut mixture, forming 6 more rolls. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Baklava may be prepared to this point and frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator before proceeding.
3. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F.
4. Cut each roll diagonally into 5 pieces without cutting through base.
5. Bake until golden, about 30 – 35 minutes; cool in pan on a rack.
6. Meanwhile, combine 1 cup sugar, honey, water and lemon juice in a saucepan. Cook on low heat until sugar dissolves; simmer 5 minutes.
7. Cut each roll through base into 5 pieces.
8. Using a slotted spoon, dip each pastry into honey syrup and place on a serving platter. Pastries may be prepared up to 24 hours in advance. Store, covered, at room temperature.