I made this for the first time on Sunday and OMG !! I thought I was in Heaven.

It looks like a long recipe but really isn't. This has quickly become my family favourite.

I did use my scales for this one.

Recipe by one of my favourite chefs NikoLopaa

Ingredients​

Syrup​

• 200 grams Sugar
• 120 grams Water
• ½ Lemon juiced zest and other half reserved for cheesecake filling
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 4 Whole cloves
• ½ tablespoon Honey

Nut Mixture​

• 160 grams Almonds crushed
• 150 grams Pistachios crushed
• 100 grams Walnuts crushed
• 50 grams icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon Ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Ground cloves
• 50 grams Unsalted butter melted
• 50 grams Syrup from syrup above

Cheesecake Batter/ Filling​

• 500 grams Cream cheese softened
• 250 grams Greek yoghurt strained
• 200 grams Sugar
• 1 tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Lemon zest
• ½ Lemon juiced
• 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 3 Eggs

Phyllo Crust​

• 20 sheets Phyllo pastry (1 packet = approx 400 grams) 15 sheets will be fine & count sheets before starting as they vary
• 250 grams Unsalted butter melted
• 10 Whole cloves optional for garnish

Method

Syrup Instructions​

• Combine the sugar, water, lemon juice, cinnamon stick, cloves, and honey in a saucepan.
• Place over medium heat and stir occasionally until it comes to a boil.
• Boil for 1 minute, then turn off the heat.
• Zest the lemon before juicing it, and set the zest aside for the cheesecake filling. Let the syrup cool completely.

Prepare the Phyllo Crust​

• Preheat the oven to 200°C / 180°C (fan-forced).
• Brush a 26 cm springform pan with melted butter. Keep a tray under the pan for the entire process, especially during baking, to catch any dripping butter.
• Lay a sheet of phyllo pastry in the pan and brush with melted butter. Repeat with just under half of the sheets, brushing each layer generously. Do your best to avoid tearing the sheets and press them neatly into the sides of the pan.
• Trim any overhanging phyllo and keep the off-cuts aside under a damp kitchen towel for later use.
  Bake for 12–15 minutes or until the phyllo is golden and crisp. If the phyllo puffs while baking, you can press it down gently mid-bake or after it's done. A few cracks are fine and won’t affect the result.
  

  Nut Mixture​

  In a large bowl, combine the almonds, pistachios, and walnuts.
  Add icing sugar, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, melted butter, and 50 grams from the syrup previously prepared. Mix well until evenly coated.
  Set aside for assembly.
  

  Cheesecake Batter/ Filling​

  .In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy.
  Add the Greek yogurt, flour, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and eggs. Mix everything together until fully combined. Be gentle to avoid overmixing, which helps keep the filling light.

• Assemble and Bake​

  • Spread the entire nut mixture evenly over the baked phyllo base and press it down firmly to compact.
  • Place the reserved phyllo off-cuts over the nuts, brushing with melted butter. Add one more layer of phyllo pastry on top and brush with melted butter.
  • Pour the cheesecake filling over the phyllo and spread evenly with a spatula.
  • Layer the remaining phyllo sheets on top, brushing each with melted butter.
  • Using a sharp knife, score the top phyllo layer into triangles, ensuring not to cut through to the filling. Keep the score lines from crossing or touching. Place a whole clove in the centre of each triangle for garnish.
  • Roll the overhanging phyllo inward to form a neat border around the edge. Brush the border with melted butter and ensure it stays inside the pan for easy removal after baking.
  • Before baking, you can trim the crusty phyllo edges that overhang the springform pan to make removing the cake easier after it’s baked. Alternatively, you can choose to do this later once it has cooled.
    Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C /160°C (fan-forced) and bake for 60–70 minutes, or until the phyllo is golden and the cheesecake is set. Use a thermometer to check the filling (65–70°C in the centre internally).
    

    Add Syrup and Serve​

    • Once baked, immediately pour most of the cooled syrup around the edges of the cheesecake, ensuring some reaches the middle.
    • Allow the syrup to soak in at room temperature for a few hours.
    • Chill the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
    • Remove the springform pan and transfer the cheesecake to a serving dish or cake stand.

 

[Littleboy8]

Looks really delicious yum