Baklava Cheesecake

A whimsical dessert, this combines two of our favorite treats by setting a honey cheesecake in a phyllo/walnut crust with a rich vein of walnuts running through the cake’s center. Since you don’t bake this cheesecake in a water bath (the phyllo would turn gummy), you can use a springform pan.

11⁄2 pounds regular cream cheese (do not use low-fat or fat-free—see Note on the previous recipe, page 548) softened to room temperature

3⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tablespoon all-purpose fl our

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 cups walnut pieces, toasted and cooled

3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar

1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

About 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

4 sheets phyllo dough, laid on the work surface and covered with plastic wrap and a dry kitchen towel

• Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Beat the cream cheese and 3⁄4 cup honey in a large bowl, using an electric mixer at medium speed, until smooth, about 2 minutes.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl and making sure there are no eggy bits visible before adding the next. Finally, beat in the flour and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.
• Grind the walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a food processor fi tted with the chopping blade until sandlike, not powdery.
• Generously brush the inside and bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with about 1 tablespoon melted butter, making sure you coat the joint between the walls and the bottom.
• Generously brush a sheet of phyllo dough with a little melted butter, then lay it in the pan, forming it into the pan and overlapping the sides. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of the ground walnut mixture evenly over the parts of the phyllo sheet that are below the pan’s rim.
• Repeat with the remaining 3 sheets of phyllo, brushing them with butter, laying the second at a 90-degree angle to the fi rst, sprinkling this second sheet with 1 tablespoon walnut mixture, and then continuing with the others until the pan is covered with overlapping phyllo sheets, each one sprinkled with 1 tablespoon walnut mixture.
• Pour about half the batter into the phyllo-lined pan. Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons honey with the remaining walnut mixture. Sprinkle evenly over the batter.
• Gently pour the remaining batter into the pan, taking care not to dislodge the walnut mixture. Scrape any excess out of the bowl and into the pan. Rap the pan a couple of times against your work surface to even out the batter. Trim any phyllo hanging over the edges of the pan with kitchen shears.
• Bake until lightly browned and a little puffed, until the cake is set when jiggled but not completely fi rm, about 11⁄2 hours.
• To cool: Set on a wire rack until room temperature, about 2 hours.
• To store: Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Makes one 9-inch cheesecake