Baklava Cheesecake

For the crispy baklava pastry

• 1 LB PHYLLO PASTRY
• 50 g (¼ cups) Unsalted butter melted 
• 140 g (1¼ cups) Whole Waluts

For the cream cheese filling

• 450 g (2 cups) Cream cheese, room temperature 
• 100 g (½ cups) Granulated sugar
• 15 g (2 tablespoon) All purpose flour 
• 3 Eggs, room temperature
• 75 g Heavy Cream 

For the baklava honey syrup

• 120 g Water
• 70 g Granulated sugar
• 50 g Honey
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Skin of ½ lemon cut into 2-3 pieces so that you can take them out of the syrup later.
• Cinnamon stick medium size
• 1 tablespoon Rose water or orange blossom water

Optional garnish

• 1 tablespoon Dried rose petals
• 2 tablespoon Pistachio nuts

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F
2. Roast the walnuts on an oven tray for 5-10 minutes. Take care not to burn the nuts, and remove them from the oven once you start to notice a lovely nutty smell.
3. Adjust the oven temperature to 350F 
4. Pulse the walnuts in a food processor until they are in tiny pieces, but do not grind them fully to flour. 
5. In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand whisk to cream the cream cheese with the sugar for 1-2 minutes or until fluffy.
6. Mix in the flour, add the room-temperature eggs, and finally add the heavy cream. Mix just until combined
7. Melt the butter in the microwave to brush over the Phyllo pastry.
8. Unwrap the Phyllo pastry sheets and place them between two very lightly damp tea towels to prevent them from drying out.

Assembling the cheesecake

1. Generously grease the bottom and inner sides of the springform pan with butter.
2. Lay 2 sheets of filo pastry inside the pan, brush with butter, and sprinkle over walnuts. Repeat 4 times.
3. Add 2 more sheets of filo pastry, then pour the cream cheese filling on top.
4. Trim the edges of the filo pastry with scissors so it is level with the top of the pan.

Baking the cheesecake

1. Bake your baklava cheesecake for 45 minutes, then gently remove the sides of the spring form pan and bake for a further 25 minutes to allow the sides to go golden brown in color. Adjust the baking time to your oven if necessary.

Making the syrup

1. Boil all the ingredients except the rose water together in a saucepan for 5-10 minutes or until it slightly thickens and reaches syrup consistency. Remove it from the heat, remove lemon zest pieces and cinnamon stick, then stir in the rosewater.

Finishing and serving the baklava cheesecake

1. Pour the syrup over the cheesecake as soon as the cheesecake comes out of the oven. Focus on pouring syrup on the filo pastry around the edges, with only a small amount in the center.
2. Let the baklava cheesecake cool and further set in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, then decorate it with pistachio nuts and rose petals (optional) and serve.
3. Serve it fresh or store it for 2-3 days refrigerated.