Baklava Cheesecake

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This luscious treat is the outcome of a legendary marriage of two icons. Just imagine the rich creaminess of a traditional cheesecake added to the nutty aromatic phyllo crust of baklava; a heavenly blend that will please your taste buds to the extreme!

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Baklava Cheesecake

Yield: 8

Author: Fida Milki

Ingredients

For the crust

• 8 sheets of phyllo dough thawed
• 1 cup butter melted plus 2 tbsp
• 1 cup roasted walnuts
• 1 cup roasted almonds
• 1 tbsp rose water

For the filling

• 2 1/2 cups cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1tbsp rose water
• 1 tbsp orange blossom water
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp orange zest
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 3 eggs at room temperature
• 1 cup Greek yogurt

For the topping

• Crushed pistachios and roasted walnuts
• 1 cup honey
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp rose water

Instructions

Get started

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).
2. Line an 8-inch springform cake pan with parchment paper and grease it.
3. Place the first phyllo sheet in your pan and brush it with some melted butter.
4. Repeat with the remaining sheets and butter then trim the hanging edges.
5. Bake in the heated oven for 10 minutes or until golden.
6. Take out of the oven and set aside.
7. Place the nuts in a food processor and blitz until crushed. Mix in the 2 tbsp of melted butter and pulse until combined.
8. Spread the mixture over the phyllo base in your pan.

Make the filling

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, place the cream cheese, sugar, rose and orange blossom water, lemon and orange zest, lemon juice and starch and mix until smooth for around 5 minutes scrapping off the sides with a spatula.
2. Add the eggs one at a time followed by the yogurt. Mix until well combined.
3. Transfer the mixture to the pan over the nuts and smoothen the surface with a spatula.
4. Place the springform pan on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in the heated oven for 45 minutes or until golden.
5. Turn the oven off and keep the cheesecake inside for 50 minutes.
6. Take out and allow to cool completely.
7. Transfer to the fridge and let chill for at least 2 hours up to overnight.

Bring it together

1. Remove the cheesecake from the pan and transfer it to a serving platter.
2. Sprinkle with the crushed nuts.
3. Mix the honey with the lemon juice and rose water.
4. Drizzle over the cheesecake.
5. Slice, serve and enjoy!