Baklava Cheesecake

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Description

A decadent combination of two of my favorite desserts: cheesecake with a baklava crust. I call it cheeseklava! This is best made a day before serving.

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces chopped walnuts
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ (16 ounce) package frozen phyllo pastry, thawed
  • ½ cup melted butter, or as needed
  • 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
  • ¾ cup white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • ½ cup honey
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch pan.
  2. Toss walnuts and cinnamon together in a bowl and set aside.
  3. Unroll phyllo dough and trim to just slightly larger than the pan so dough will run up the sides. Place 2 sheets of dough in the prepared pan and butter thoroughly. Repeat for a total of 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of cinnamon-walnut mixture on top. Top with 2 more sheets of dough
  4. butter
  5. cinnamon-walnut mixture; repeat and end with 3 sheets of dough. Butter the top of the baklava.
  6. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Leave oven on.
  7. Meanwhile
  8. combine cream cheese
  9. sugar
  10. and flour in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on high power until smooth
  11. about 1 minute. Scrape the bowl. Beat on low speed and add eggs 1 at a time
  12. beating about 15 seconds after each. Scrape bowl. Add lemon juice and beat on high speed until well blended
  13. about 1 minute. Pour mixture over baked baklava crust in the pan while crust is still hot.
  14. Bake in the hot oven until set
  15. 20 to 25 minutes. Cool to room temperature
  16. about 1 hour.
  17. Cut cooled cheesecake into 12 servings.
  18. Combine water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil until melted
  19. about 5 minutes. Add honey and vanilla extract and simmer for 20 minutes. Drizzle hot sauce over the cooled cake
  20. making sure to get in between the slices.
  21. Refrigerate uncovered or only lightly covered with aluminum foil; a tight seal will make it soggy.

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr 5 mins

Total Time: 2 hrs 35 mins

Servings: 12

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