Heres one of mine. Enjoy! Chef Joye LaBarge Bryans Baklava Cheesecake This is a must-try if youre a baklava lover! The cheesecake is rich and creamy with the addition of Greek yogurt, and it is rippled with cinnamon-walnut filling. The flaky filo layers on top provide a nice, satisfying crunch. If youre making this for a party or gathering, be sure to place the extra drenching syrup in a gravy boat or pitcher beside the cake. Guests can pour additional syrup onto their individual slices. Yield/Serves: 1 8-in round/10 servings Ingredients Cinnamon-Honey Drenching Syrup: 1 c (8 ozs) granulated sugar 1 1/3 c (10.7 ozs) water 1 c (250ml) honey 1/2 t ground cinnamon Nut Filling: 6 ozs walnuts 1/4 t salt 1 t cinnamon Cheesecake Filling: 2 1/2 pkgs (20 oz.) Philadelphia cream cheese, room temp 2 5.3 oz containers (300g tot) Greek yogurt, honey flavor (or plain) 3/4 c (6 ozs) granulated sugar 3 eggs, room temp 2 t pure vanilla extract 1/2 c (4 ozs) butter, melted 12-14 sheets phyllo pastry Directions Cinnamon-Honey Drenching Syrup: Chefs Note: Make the syrup first. It needs to reduce on the stove top for 20 mins and then cool completely. 1. Stir together the sugar, water and honey in a med saucepan over med-high heat. 2. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 20 - 25 mins until reduced and syrupy. Chefs Note: You should have around 1 3/4 - 2 c liquid after cooking. This amount doesnt have to be exact, as long as youre somewhere at or in between. 3. Remove syrup from heat and stir in cinnamon. 4. Let cool completely. Nut Filling: Chefs Note: You may also choose to use almonds or pistachios in place of the walnuts in the nut filling, or use a combination of all the above! 1. Preheat oven to 350F. 2. Spread walnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 5 - 8 mins in the oven. 3. Let cool, then place 5 ozs nuts in a food processor and process in quick bursts until finely chopped. Chefs Note: You can also chop them finely with a chefs knife. 4. Transfer the finely chopped nuts to a med bowl and add 1/2 c drenching syrup, salt, and cinnamon. 5. Stir together and set aside. 6. Reserve remaining 1 oz walnuts for later use. Cheesecake Filling: 1. Process cream cheese, Greek yogurt, sugar, and vanilla extract together in the bowl of a food processor. 2. Scrape down sides of the bowl if needed. 3. Process until completely smooth. 4. Add the eggs and process again. 5. Let rest in the bowl while you prepare the phyllo crust. Phyllo Crust: 1. Reduce oven heat to 325F. 2. Release the collar from an 8-in spring-form pan. 3. Tear off a sheet of parchment paper and place over the base, then re-attach the collar, allowing the baking paper to stick out the bottom edges. 4. Place the phyllo sheets on a clean work surface. 5. Working quickly, lightly brush a sheet with butter then fold in half. 6. Lay the sheet inside the pan allowing one end of the pastry to overhang the top edge of the spring-form pan. 7. Repeat process with 9 more sheets of phyllo; turn and overlap the pieces until the bottom of the pan is completely covered. 8. Cover the remaining sheets of phyllo with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for later use. Assembly: 1. Pour cheesecake batter into the prepared pan. 2. Use a spoon to place dollops of the reserved walnut filling on top of the cheesecake batter. 3. Some dollops will sink to the bottom, some will sit on top of the batter, so dont worry too much about this part looking perfect. Chefs Note: The filling will create random ripples of walnut in the baked cheesecake (thats just part of the beauty). 4. Fold the overhanging phyllo edges onto the cheesecake. 5. Bake for 1 hr 10 mins, or until the center is set. 6. Do not remove cheesecake from the oven - turn off the oven and prop the oven door open (about 5-ins or so) and let the oven cool down completely (abt 40 mins). 7. Remove cheesecake from the oven and re-heat the oven to 350F. 8. Brush the remaining 2 - 4 pieces of phyllo dough with butter and place them in a crumpled fashion on the top middle of the cheesecake. 9. Bake for 8 - 10 mins more or until the newly added phyllo has turned golden. 10. Cool to room temp. 11. Top cheesecake with drenching syrup and remaining toasted walnuts. 12. Place leftover syrup in a gravy boat beside the cheesecake. 13. Refrigerate leftovers.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Oct 2013 15:00:24 +0000