Pistachio Baklava Cheesecake

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minute
Cooling Time: 2 hours
Chilling Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 9 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 10 - 11 people

This gorgeous Pistachio Baklava Cheesecake deserves a spot on your dessert menu! It is made with phyllo pastry, pistachios, walnuts and a creamy filling. Serve this beautiful cheesecake on special occasions and decorate it with edible rose petals.

Why you'll love this recipe:

Exquisite, aromatic, dreamy dessert for the festive season.
Don’t let a few extra steps stop you from trying it; the result is sublime.
Slow and long bake, so you don’t have to keep checking the oven every 5 mins.

Ingredients:

Crust:

12 sheets phyllo dough (14x9-in.)
60 g butter melted
½ cup pistachio chopped
½ cup walnuts chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 tablespoon of melted butter

Cheesecake filling:

700 g cream cheese softened
3 medium eggs room temp
1 teaspoon orange extract
200g cup sugar granulated
100 g Greek yogurt room temp
50 g all purpose flour

Syrup:

1 cup water
0,5 cup honey
0,5 cup sugar
2 teaspoon orange zest

Directions:

Cheesecake Crust:

Preheat the oven to 380F/160C. Then line an 8” springform pan with parchment paper and grease it lightly with butter. Make sure you grease the sides too.
Press two phyllo sheets onto the lined pan and stick them to the sides and base of the pan. Then, baste the sheet with melted butter. Ensure you get the sides and the part of the sheets that flop over the pan. Repeat this step with ten more sheets and make sure you rotate them around the tin as you go along. This will ensure that the crust is even.
Once all of the phyllo sheets have been added to the tin, use scissors to cut the sheets that flop over the cake tin. This will help when removing the cheesecake from the springform pan.
Next, combine thinly chopped pistachio, thinly chopped walnuts, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of melted butter in the bowl and mix. Pour the nut mixture onto the base of the phyllo sheet in the springform tin and press it down gently to even it out. Alternatively, you can pulse everything in a food processor instead.

Baklava Cheesecake Filling:

Grab a large mixing bowl and mix softened cream cheese with granulated sugar until combined.
Then, add eggs and orange extract and whisk until combined. Next, add Greek yogurt and whisk until combined. Finally, add all-purpose flour and whisk until combined.
Pour the cheesecake filling into the pan on top of the nut mixture, then bake in preheated oven for 65-75 minutes.

Syrup:

As the cheesecake bakes prepare the syrup. Add water, honey and sugar and orange zest to a pot and bring to a boil. Then let it simmer for ten minutes.

Chill Cheesecake:

Once the cheesecake is ready, turn off the oven, crack open the oven door slightly and let the cake cool for 10 minutes.
Then remove the cake from the oven using oven mitts and pour the syrup into the phyllo crust. It is okay if some of the syrup gets on the cheesecake. Let the cheesecake cool for 2 hours then refrigerate for 6 hours overnight to firm the filling.
Remove the cheesecake from the fridge and gently remove the springform pan. Decorate the cheesecake with chopped pistachio and rose petals and serve for dessert.

Tips & Notes:

Room temperature: The eggs, cream cheese and Greek yogurt must be at room temperature before mixing. This will ensure that all of the wet ingredients combine properly.
Measuring scale: Use a scale to weigh the ingredients for accurate results. Using less or more of any ingredient will affect the cheesecake.
Butter: Baste the phyllo sheets with melted butter to create crisp golden layers.
Phyllo sheet: Be careful when handling the phyllo sheets as they are quite delicate and tear easily. If you are using frozen phyllo, then let it defrost before using it. Nuts: Option to roast them for a few minutes before making the crumb.
Rose water: Change the flavor of this cheesecake by using rose water and rose extract instead of orange. This will give the cheesecake a rose-like flavor profile instead of orange.
About phyllo dough:
Phyllo dough is very thin sheets of unleavened pastry, characterized by its brittle, flaky texture. You may know it from desserts like baklava or savory dishes like spanakopita. Traditionally made with flour, water and a small amount of oil or butter, most phyllo dough today is vegan.
Use of phyllo:Phyllo can be a little finicky to work with but if you defrost it properly, brush each layer with oil to prevent it from breaking, and cover what you’re not using it’s pretty smooth sailing from there.
Defrost first: It’s important to thoroughly defrost frozen phyllo dough before using. For best results, place the phyllo dough in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight. If it still feels slightly frozen, allow it to sit at room temperature for an hour before using.
Phyllo & fat: a match made in heaven: Because phyllo dough is so paper-thin, it can get brittle very quickly. Brushing phyllo with fat (typically olive oil or melted butter) keeps it supple and helps it bake up golden brown and crispy.
Cover it up! Layering phyllo dough for the crust of my baklava cheesecake can take some time, so it’s important to keep the dough covered as you work with it. Phyllo dough, when left exposed to the air for too long, will become dry and can shatter into one million frustrating little pieces. A clean, slightly damp kitchen towel works best to keep the phyllo dough pliable while you’re assembling the crust.