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64 <strong>Magazine</strong> | Recipe<br />
BAKLAVA CHEESECAKE<br />
WITH ORANGE<br />
BLOSSOM SYRUP<br />
Nothing beats the flavours of a gorgeous<br />
baklava – think orange, saffron, honey<br />
and pistachios. Imagine the perfection of<br />
combining those flavours with a creamy<br />
baked cheesecake. A Middle Easterninspired<br />
treat, perfect for a celebration.<br />
Serves 8–10<br />
FOR THE BASE<br />
250g pistachios<br />
200g mixed nuts (e.g. almonds,<br />
walnuts, hazelnuts)<br />
¼ cup sugar<br />
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
½ teaspoon ground cardamom<br />
12 sheets store-bought filo pastry<br />
125g butter, melted<br />
FOR THE FILLING<br />
450g cream cheese, at room<br />
temperature<br />
120g sugar<br />
15g plain flour<br />
3 eggs<br />
75g double cream<br />
FOR THE ORANGE<br />
BLOSSOM SYRUP<br />
½ cup honey<br />
½ cup water<br />
½ cup sugar<br />
2 teaspoons rose water<br />
2 teaspoons orange blossom water<br />
Pinch of saffron (optional)<br />
Dried rose petals, fresh rose petals<br />
and extra pistachios, to garnish<br />
Extracted from The<br />
Laden Table: Recipes to<br />
share, infused with spice<br />
by Ashia Ismail-Singer,<br />
photography by Lottie<br />
Hedley. Published<br />
by Bateman Books,<br />
RRP$60.<br />
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan bake.<br />
Grease a 22cm loose-bottomed cake tin.<br />
FOR THE BASE: Place the nuts in a food processor and<br />
whizz until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl, add the<br />
sugar and the spices and stir to combine.<br />
Place a sheet of filo pastry in the cake tin and brush with<br />
melted butter. Cover with one more layer of filo brushed<br />
with butter – the sheets will hang over the edge. Sprinkle<br />
a layer of spiced nuts over top. Butter 2 more filo sheets<br />
and place them on top of the first layer of pastry and nuts.<br />
Repeat the process with the remaining filo pastry and nut<br />
mixture, ending with a layer of filo.<br />
FOR THE FILLING: Using an electric beater or stand<br />
mixer, whisk the cream cheese with the sugar until fluffy,<br />
about 2 minutes. Add the flour, eggs and double cream and<br />
whisk until just combined. Pour onto the prepared filo base.<br />
Cut the overhanging filo around the edge of the cake tin.<br />
FOR THE SYRUP: In a saucepan, combine the honey, water<br />
and sugar over a medium–high heat, stirring until the sugar<br />
dissolves. Cook until the syrup thickens, then remove from<br />
the heat. Add the rose water, orange blossom water and<br />
saffron (if using). Stir to combine and set aside.<br />
Bake the cheesecake for 45 minutes, then carefully remove<br />
the sides of the cake tin and bake for a further 20–25<br />
minutes until golden. Remove the cheesecake from the oven<br />
and pour the syrup over the edges and sides. Allow to cool<br />
completely and then serve with dried rose petals, fresh rose<br />
petals and pistachios to garnish and a cup of apple tea.<br />
TIP<br />
It’s best to use double cream for the filling. You can find it<br />
near the fresh cream in your supermarket.
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