Dessert+baking
Baklava cheesecake
Prep Time: 20 min / Cook Time: 1 hr / Total Time: 1 hr 20 min
This delicate baklava cheesecake is a feast for the eyes as much as it is for your tastebuds! With sweet and nutty flavors and a rich and creamy filling, it’s an impressive dessert with a Middle Eastern twist.
Author and photographs: Olga
Recipe for a 19 cm diameter pan. This recipe melds two of my favorite desserts, baklava and cheesecake, resulting in a divine taste experience. The crinkly phyllo crust and vibrant pistachio topping not only enhance the flavor but also create a visually impressive treat.
If you’re nervous about making cheesecake, don’t worry! To write this recipe was more difficult than to bake it!
Believe me ))
This incredibly rich, nutty, sweet, and floral dessert is unlike any other cheesecake you’ve had. It captures the essence of traditional baklava in every bite, with layers of crushed nuts and a light and airy phyllo crust. Dressed in a sweet and nutty honey syrup, this is one dessert that will ‘wow’ all of your guests!
Baklava cheesecake
Ingredients
Nut layer:
-
100 g pistachios
-
2 tbsp melted butter (30 g)
-
60 g powdered sugar
Crust:
-
8 sheets phyllo pastry (330 g)
-
45 g melted butter (yes, the second time in the recipe)
-
(optional for layering between phyllo sheets: 20 g ground pistachios + 20 g powdered sugar)
Syrup:
-
3/4 cup water (180 ml)
-
3/4 cup sugar (150 g)
-
1-2 drops lemon juice
Cheesecake (all ingredients at room temperature):
-
600 g cream cheese (Philadelphia or Mascarpone)
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200 ml heavy cream (33%)
-
200 g sugar
-
Vanilla
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40 g cornstarch
-
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
Instructions
Crust part.
- Grease the mold with butter. Brush each sheet of phyllo pastry with butter and layer them, optionally sprinkling a mixture of ground pistachios and powdered sugar between each sheet. Arrange the sheets in the mold, allowing the edges to hang over. (Trim the protruding edges with scissors).
- Place it in a preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit) for 3-4 minutes, until the edges become golden brown.
For the Nut layer: 3. Mix pistachios with sugar. Add melted butter and mix well. Take the phyllo pastry sheets out of the oven and spread the nut-sugar mixture inside the mold, pressing it firmly.
Syrup: 4. Boil water and sugar, reduce heat, and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add 1-2 drops of lemon juice and set aside.
For the Cheesecake: 5. Whisk cream cheese and sugar with a paddle attachment. Add cream, sift in cornstarch and vanilla, and mix well. Then add the egg and yolk, pour the mixture over the pistachios, and bake in the oven at 160 degrees Celsius (320 degrees Fahrenheit) on the middle shelf. (Bake for about an hour; if the center slightly jiggles but the edges are set, it's ready.) Leave it in the oven for 15 minutes with the door slightly ajar, then cool on the table to room temperature.
Once the cheesecake has cooled, refrigerate it. Decorate with pistachios and drizzle with syrup before serving. Enjoy your meal!
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