Baklava Cheesecake (Lactose Free!)
Welcome back to another lactose free recipe. For this week’s recipe I am combining the rich baklava with a classic baked cheesecake.   A delicious crunchy base, a smooth lemon cheesecake and topped with a delicious filo (phyllo) pasty stack smothered in spiced syrup. All finished with chopped pistachios and rose petals.   The filo layer is quite sweet because of the syrup. The creamy lemon cheesecake helps to balance this out. Keep in mind this recipe is still quite sweet.   The recipes on this website have been tested with lactose free ingredients multiple times to ensure their success and deliciousness. As always, this recipe is lactose free providing you use the right ingredients. Always make sure your ingredients are safe.
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Category:
Servings: 8 yield(s)
Prep Time: 340 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins
Total Time: 385 mins
Ingredients
    Cheesecake Crust
  • 150 g Ground Digestive biscuits (Brand - Mcvitie's Digestives Biscuits Plain)
  • 1 cup Fine ground pistachios
  • 1/3 cup Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Melted Margarine (Lactose free) (Brand Used - Nuttelex Original)
  • Springform Tin
    • Cheesecake
  • 500 g ROOM TEMP Cream cheese (lactose free) (Brand used - Liddells Full Cream)
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 2 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp Lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp Lemon zest
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tbsp Corn starch
  • 250 g ROOM TEMP Greek yoghurt (lactose free) (Brand Used - Farmers Union)
  • 3 ROOM TEMP Eggs
    • Baklava topping
  • 1 Packet of filo (phyllo) pastry (thawed)
  • 1/2 cup Margarine (Lactose free) (Brand Used - Nuttelex Original)
  • 1 cup Honey
  • 1/2 cup Water
  • 1/2 cup Caster sugar
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp Ground cinnamon (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp Rosewater essence (optional)
  • 1 cup Chopped pistachios
  • Edible rose petals
Instructions
    Cheesecake Base
  1. Grease your springform tin and preheat your oven to 175°c (350F).
  2. Place the ground pistachios, sugar and biscuits in a large bowl.
  3. Pour in the melted margarine. Mix well.
  4. Spoon the mixture into the greased tin. Flatten down well.
  5. Place the base in the oven for 10 minutes until golden brown.
  6. Leave to cool down.
    7. Cheesecake Filling
  7. Add the cream cheese to a large bowl.
  8. Beat well to loosen the cheese up.
  9. Add in the sugar, salt, vanilla extract, lemon juice and cornstarch. Mix well.
  10. Add in the eggs one at a time while mixing.
  11. Fold in the Greek yoghurt.
  12. Pour the cheesecake on top of the cooled base.
  13. Bake the cheesecake for 45 minutes until the cheesecake slightly wobbles in the center.
  14. Turn off your oven but leave the oven door slightly ajar. Leave the cheesecake to cool for an hour. This helps to prevent cracking.
  15. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and leave to cool down to room temperature. Place the cheesecake into your refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
    16. Baklava Topping
  16. Time to prepare the syrup. Place the honey, water, sugar, cinnamon, rose water essence and cloves if you wish. The taste of cloves can be quite strong so if you are not a fan I would not add it.
  17. Bring the mixture to a simmer while stirring until the sugar dissolves.
  18. Simmer until the mixture thickens slightly. It should take ten or so minutes.
  19. Leave the syrup to cool down.
  20. Line a baking tray with baking paper and preheat your oven to 175°c (350F).
  21. Place a sheet of filo pastry onto the baking tray. Brush a layer of melted margarine onto the pastry layer.
  22. Place another pastry layer on top and brush with margarine. Keep repeating this process until you have ten layers of pastry. Finish with a layer of margarine.
  23. Cut the pastry to fit on top of the cheesecake.
  24. Bake the pastry stack for 15 or so minutes until beautiful golden brown.
  25. Leave the pastry stack to cool down.
  26. Once cooled down place the stack on top of the cheesecake.
  27. Pour the syrup all over the pastry. If you don't like the dome of the pastry you can always gently flip it over to the flat side. I ended up doing this halfway through the soaking process.
  28. Place the cheesecake into the fridge and leave for a hour or two so the syrup soaks into the pastry. The longer it has to soak in the better the pastry will be.
  29. When you are ready to serve run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake. Gently remove the side of the tin and transfer the cheesecake to a clean plate.
  30. Sprinkle the top of the cheesecake with the chopped pistachio and rose petals.
  31. Congratulations you have now made delicious baklava cheesecake.
  32. Serve, devour and enjoy.