Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a 9 inch square pan with parchment paper on all sides. Set aside.

Step 2

Cut one sheet of phyllo dough to fit into your pan (this was almost perfectly a half sheet of phyllo dough for me!) and lay in prepared pan. Brush with the melted butter, and cut and layer the next piece. Repeat until you have 12 layers of phyllo dough in your pan.

Step 3

Place in the oven to blind bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Step 4

While the crust blind bakes, make the cheesecake. Whip the softened cream cheese, room temperature sour cream, honey, and granulated sugar together in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the vanilla extract and then the eggs one at a time, beating until just combined. Don’t over mix.

Step 5

Pour the cheesecake batter over the crust. Drop the pan on the counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles.

Step 6

Carefully place the cheesecake bars in the middle rack of the oven and bake for 40 minutes, rotating the cheesecake halfway. Do not over bake! The cheesecake will still be wobbly in the center, but this is correct!

Step 7

Once the cheesecake bars are done, turn off the oven and open the door to the oven slightly. Leave the cheesecake in the turned off oven for an hour to allow the cheesecake to cool down gradually.

Step 8

While the cheesecake cools, make the baklava topping. In a heavy bottom sauce pan over medium heat, combine the honey and water and cook until thick and reduced by about half. You’ll know it’s done when the mixture has thickened and will coat the back of a spoon.

Step 9

Remove from the heat and add the nuts, lemon juice, and salt. Stir to combine.

Step 10

Pour the topping over the top of the cheesecake bars, spreading it into an even layer. Cover the cheesecake bars with tinfoil and place it in the fridge to set overnight.

Step 11

When ready to serve, slice into 8 squares for big pieces of 16 for smaller pieces. Enjoy!