It’s creamy and it’s crispy! This baklava cheesecake is the perfect combination if you’re looking for something new to impress your guests!
Baklava crust
1 package of filo pastry sheets
175 g melted butter
Baklava filling
200 g crushed pistachio nuts
100 g roasted and crushed hazelnuts
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
4 tbsp powdered sugar
6-7 crushed digestive biscuits or biscuits of choice
Cheesecake filling
600 g cream cheese
220 g sugar
120 g (sour cream)
3 eggs
Vanilla extract
Directions
- Combine the baklava filling ingredients in a bowl and set aside
- Cream the cream cheese with the sour cream by hand with a whisk and add the sugar. Then add the eggs with the vanilla extract and mix will till no more lumpy.
- In a 22 cm spring form, layer a sheet of filo pastry, brush with butter before adding another layer. Repeat this with 4-6 layers of filo sheets
- Then spread approximately 1/3 of the baklava filling in the bottom of the spring form pan with the filo in it.
- Next add the cream cheese mixture and then begin filo and butter layering again. Add 2 layers of filo and then spread another 1/3 of the baklava filling. Then do 2-4 more layers of filo and follow with the remaining baklava filling.
- You can choose to leave the filling as the topping or cover with a final layer of filo. Both are fantastic!
- Bake at 325°F at least 1 hour and 30 minutes.
You don’t need a water bath for this recipe, though I do recommend putting a pan on the bottom of the oven for the first hour of baking, there's a lot of butter in this recipe and you don't want to have to clean your oven!
- Let it cool down in the oven for 20 minutes then let it finish cooling completely on the countertop 30-45 minutes. Set in the fridge overnight and then add the syrup.
Syrup
250 ml water
250 g sugar
one slice of lemon
a pinch of cinnamon
Star anise - Optional
Syrup Directions
Combining ingredients and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat to minimum and let it simmer until it thickens a bit (10-12 min).
