Baklava Cheesecake with French Chestnut Honey

LA RECETTE

1. Baklava Base: Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Coarsely chop or blend the mixed nuts with the cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger; set aside. Unroll the phyllo pastry, trace the bottom of your springform pan, and cut round sheets to fit. Wrap and refrigerate any leftover phyllo scraps for the topping.
2. Brush the bottom of the springform pan with melted butter. Place a phyllo sheet in the pan, brush with butter, and repeat for 4 layers. Sprinkle 50g of the nut mixture evenly over top. Add 2 buttered phyllo sheets, another 50g of nuts, 2 buttered sheets, the remaining 50g of nuts, and finish with 4 buttered phyllo sheets on top.
3. Gently press down and use a sharp knife to score a diamond pattern into the top layer. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown.
4. Honey Syrup: While the baklava bakes, bring the sugar and water to a boil in a saucepan until dissolved. Reduce to low heat, stir in the French Chestnut Honey and lemon juice, and simmer for 20 minutes until slightly thickened.
5. Pour about 150ml of the warm syrup over the hot baklava as soon as it leaves the oven (reserve the rest for serving). Let cool, then wrap the outside bottom of the pan tightly with two layers of aluminum foil to make it watertight for the water bath.
6. Honey Cheesecake: In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, vanilla extract, and lemon zest on medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Pour in the French Chestnut Honey and mix until combined, then gently fold in the cornstarch.
7. Baking: Pour the cream cheese filling over the baklava crust. Place the foil-wrapped pan inside a larger baking dish and pour boiling water into the outer dish (about 1.5 cm high). Carefully place in the oven at 175°C (350°F) and bake for 45 minutes.
8. Optional Phyllo Topping: After 45 minutes of baking, retrieve your phyllo scraps. Stack 3–4 buttered strips, fold them accordion-style, and gently arrange them across the top of the cheesecake. Return to the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until the phyllo ribbons are golden (optional: broil at 200°C for 2 minutes for extra color, watching closely).
9. Cooling: Turn off the oven, prop the door open slightly, and let the cheesecake rest inside for 1 hour. Remove from the water bath, peel off the foil, and cool to room temperature for another hour. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight).
10. Serving: Slice with a sharp knife through the crisp phyllo layer down to the baklava crust. Drizzle with the remaining honey syrup and top with extra crushed pistachios. Enjoy!