Preheat the oven to 180˚ C. In a mixer, beat the egg yolks and sugar until white. Lower the speed and add the lemon peel and juice, cognac, almond meal, breadcrumbs, baking powder and cinnamon.
Beat the egg whites with the salt to make a meringue. Add to the almond mixture, folding carefully.
Grease a 22cm x 36cm baking tin and spread half the filo pastry sheets, brushing each one with plenty of butter. Add the almond mixture cover with the rest of the filo pastry sheets, brushing them with butter as well.
Pour the rest of the butter over the dessert and cut the pastry sheets into small squares. Sprinkle some water over the dessert, and bake for 50 minutes. Leave the dessert to cool.
For the syrup, boil all the ingredients together for 5-6 minutes, remove the cinnamon stick, cloves, and lemon peel, and pour over the dessert.