Baklava Cheesecake

Photo: flickr user Shards Of Blue

Ingredients

32 ounces Cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup Clover honey

1/4 cup Lemon juice (fresh)

2 teaspoons Vanilla

6 Jumbo eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup Walnuts

1/2 cup Almonds, blanched

1 tablespoon Granulated sugar

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 tablespoon Butter (unsalted), clarified

1 tablespoon Lemon juice (fresh)

1 stk (1-1/2 inch) cinnamon

1 tablespoon Cognac

Preparation

Beat cream cheese in large bowl of electric mixer until light & fluffy.

Gradually mix in honey, then lemon juice & vanilla. Beat in eggs 1 at a time until just incorporated. Set aside. Stir through filling & pour into crust.

Cover filling with overhanging phyllo, squaring at edge of pan.

Bake until pastry is light brown and cake is firm to touch, about 50 mins.

Remove pan sides; using toothpick, poke 12 holes in top of cake to allow steam to escape. Cool completely on rack. Refrigerate 2 days to mellow flavors, covering after first day.

Baklava Topping: Preheat oven to 350. Cover baking sheet with 2 pieces of parchment. Coarsely grind all nuts with 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon in processor. Stack 10 reserved phyllo pastry sheets on work surface. Set rim of 10-inch springform pan atop pastry. Cut around inside of rim through entire stack using sharp knife, making 10 rounds. Cover rounds with damp towel. Set pan rim on prepared baking sheet.

Brush parchment and inside of pan rim with butter. Place one pastry round in pan rim and brush with butter. Repeat with four more rounds. Spread nut mixture evenly over pastry. Top with remaining 5 pastry rounds, brushing each with butter. Using ruler as guide, cut pastry into 16 wedges

(or however many pieces you want) with sharp knife. Sprinkle lightly with water. Bake until crisp and golden, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat 1/2 cup sugar, water, and lemon juice in heavy small saucepan over low heat, swirling pan occasionally until sugar dissolves.

Add cinnamon stick, increase heat to medium and boil until syrupy, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. When bubbles subside, add Cognac.

Flatten pastry atop cake. Remove pan rim from topping. Set topping on cake, using large spatula. Re-cut wedges. Replace pan rim on assembled cake. Immediately pour on hot syrup. Cool one hour.

Refrigerate one to 6 hours, preferably six hours. Let cake stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.

/DESSERTS