Burnt Basque Baklava Cheesecake
There’s something mesmerizing about the fusion of two timeless desserts - the rustic charm of a burnt Basque cheesecake and the delicate sweetness of baklava.
The result is pure decadence: a creamy, lightly scorched cheesecake enveloped in crisp, nut-filled layers of phyllo and kissed with an aromatic syrup. Each slice tells a story of contrast - smooth and crunchy, modern and traditional - blending Mediterranean warmth with Basque simplicity in one unforgettable dessert.
Burnt Basque Baklava Cheesecake
Yield: 8
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 oz butter, melted
- 7 oz phyllo pastry sheets
- Sugar syrup, Ater (recipe in the feed)
For the filling:
- 1 cup pistachios
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water
For the cheesecake filling:
- 7 pieces of mastic (found in Middle Eastern grocery stores)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups Labneh (strained yogurt) or cream cheese
- 5 eggs at room temperature
- 1 tbsp rose water
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water
- 2 tbsp flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 430 degrees F (220 C).
- Line the base and sides of a 9-inch round springform pan with parchment paper. Spread a thin layer of the melted butter over the paper.
- Prepare the pistachio filling by pulsing the pistachios with the sugar in a food processor until they come to a coarse crumble. Add the orange blossom water and mix with a spoon.
- Divide the phyllo sheets into 4 equal piles and keep them covered with a damp towel while you work.
- Take the first pile of sheets and add each layer to the pan letting the sheets climb the sides of the pan and brushing a little butter in between each phyllo sheet.
- When finished to layer the first pile of sheets, spread a third of the pistachio filling on top.
- Add the second pile of sheets in the same way then cover with another third of the filling. Repeat with the third pile and the last third of the pistachio filling.
- Top with the last pile of pastry sheets and brush with the remaining butter. Set aside.
Make the cheesecake filling:
- Pound the mastic with a little bit of the sugar.
- In a large bowl, cream the labneh and remaining sugar with the crushed mastic mixture then add the eggs, floral waters and flour.
- Whisk until incorporated.
Bring it all together:
- Pour the mixture into the pan on top of the pastry.
- Bake in the heated oven for 45 minutes until the filling is a little jiggly in the center but not too runny.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely, preferably overnight in the fridge, before releasing the cheesecake from the pan.
- Garnish the cheesecake with crushed pistachios and drizzle with Ater.
- Slice, serve and enjoy!
