Baklava Bars Recipe

Prep 25 MIN | Total 2 HR 50 MIN | Servings 24

It’s no surprise why this recipe has 4.5 stars! A twist on the traditional baklava, it’s easy to make with a sugar cookie crust, but tastes similar to the real thing! Baklava is a sweet dessert made with layers of butter-drenched pastry, spices and nuts. Honey-lemon syrup is poured over the baked warm pastry and left to soak and the dessert is traditionally cut into triangles. LESS -

Ingredients

Cookie Base

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker™ sugar cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 egg

Filling

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 frozen mini fillo shells (from 2.1-oz package)

Glaze

1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Garnish

5 tablespoons honey

Steps

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray.

In large bowl, stir cookie base ingredients until soft dough forms. Press dough in bottom of pan. Bake 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir walnuts, granulated sugar, 1/4 cup butter, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and the salt with fork until mixture is well mixed and crumbly.

Sprinkle nut mixture evenly over partially baked base. With hands, crumble frozen fillo shells evenly over nut mixture. Bake 18 to 20 minutes longer or until golden brown.

Meanwhile, in small microwavable bowl, microwave 1/3 cup honey, 2 tablespoons butter, the brown sugar, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon uncovered on High 1 minute or until bubbly. Stir in vanilla.

Drizzle honey mixture evenly over fillo. Cool completely, about 2 hours.

For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Before serving, drizzle 1/2 teaspoon honey over each bar. Store covered at room temperature.

Expert Tips

This recipe was one of fifteen winners in the 2007 Mix It Up with Betty! Cookie Mix Recipe Contest. More than $10,000 was awarded!

Baklava (bahk-lah-VAH) is a sweet dessert made with layers of butter-drenched pastry, spices and nuts. A honey-lemon syrup is poured over the baked warm pastry and left to soak. The dessert is traditionally cut into triangles.

You can find mini fillo shells in the freezer section of your supermarket.