Description
Everyone loves Baklava but sometimes you want to go a little further with your dessert. That’s where this simple Cheesecake Baklava recipe comes in! It has all the flavors and textures of a Baklava but is also combined with the best parts of a cheesecake.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cheesecake Baklava Base
- 100g digestive biscuits (3 1/2 oz)
- 80g mix of almonds, pistachios and walnuts (2 3/4 oz)
- 80g butter (2 3/4 oz)
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- a pinch ground cloves
- a pinch of salt
For the Cheesecake Baklava Layer
- 400g full fat cream cheese, at room temperature (14 oz)
- 1 tbsp runny honey
- 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 200ml double cream, at room temperature (heavy cream or whipping cream) (7 oz)
For the Syrup
- 30g granulated sugar (1 oz)
- zest of 1/4 orange
- squeeze fresh lemon juice
- pinch ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp runny honey
- splash orange blossom water (optional)
For the Topping
- 25g butter (3/4 oz)
- 2–3 x sheets filo pastry
- 35g mix of almonds, pistachios and walnuts (1 1/4 oz)
Instructions
For the Cheesecake Baklava Base
- To make this delicious cheesecake baklava start by preparing the base first. To make the base, transfer the biscuits to a plastic freezer bag and, holding the top closed securely, bash into crumbs with a rolling pin. Blitz the nuts until finely chopped in a food processor, and transfer both mixtures to a bowl, stirring until combined.
- Gently melt the butter and mix it into the biscuit mix, followed by the spices and the salt.
- Spray or brush a 21 cm / 8 inch loose bottomed tin with neutral oil or cooking spray and line both the base and sides with baking parchment. Press the biscuit mix firmly into the bottom to create an even base. Chill while you make the cheesecake layer.
For the Cheesecake Baklava Layer
- Beat together the cream cheese, honey and lemon juice with a wooden spoon until smooth.
- In a separate bowl whisk the cream until stiff. Working in thirds, gently fold the cream mixture into the cheesecake mix until uniform.
- Scrape the cheesecake mix onto the base, making sure you get it in all the corners, working to get the mixture as smooth and even on top as possible. Chill for at least 8 hours, or preferably overnight.
For the Syrup
- To make the syrup, combine the sugar with 1 1/2 tbsp of water, the orange zest, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and the cinnamon in a small saucepan. Set over a medium high heat and stir until all the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the honey and orange blossom water, if using. Leave to cool completely.
For the Topping
- To make the baklava topping, pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius / 350 fahrenheit, and gently melt the butter in a small saucepan.
- Line a baking tray with baking parchment and roughly tear the filo sheet onto it. Once the butter is cool enough to touch, pour it over the filo and mix it all together with your hands, scrunching and separating the filo pieces to cover the sheet in rough shards.
- Bake for 10 minutes until the filo pieces are golden. Meanwhile, roughly chop the nuts.
- To assemble the cheesecake, carefully remove the spring release on the tin and using a fish slice carefully slide the cheesecake off the metal bottom and remove the sheet of baking parchment underneath. Transfer to a serving platter, removing the parchment around the sides of the cheesecake.
- Spoon the syrup over the top of the cheesecake, before scattering with the nuts and arranging the filo shards on top, trying to give it as much height as possible. Enjoy!