The star of these cookie bars is the thick layer of crunchy honey and almond topping. This bar cookie is inspired by the traditional German Bienenstich Cake, but instead of a brioche dough used in the cake, this recipe uses a lightly sweetened cookie base. I have added some lemon zest to the cookie base and lemon juice to the topping to tame the sweetness and provide a subtle flavor contrast to the sweet honey topping. Tip: Make the cookie base first, and to save on time while you are making the base start the topping ingredients on the stovetop to begin the butter and sugar mixture heating.