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Nutty Cheesecake

Crunch, sweet, nutty, and creamy-what’s not to like? The nifty part of this recipe is that it uses rose water. Now, before you go, “ewww,” cooking with flowers is an art that only went out of popularity after the Victorian Era. It is now experiencing a culinary coming back as an amazing way to add romance and elegance to dishes, not to mention unique flavors.

Ingredients

FOUNDATION

  • 10 sheets of phyllo pastry (thawed)
  • 1 c unsalted butter (melted)
  • ¾ c roasted pecans
  • ¾ c roasted walnuts
  • 3/4 c roasted almonds
  • 1 tsp. Cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons butter

FILLING

  • 2 cups cream cheese (softened)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 3 eggs (room temperature)
  • 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
  • Pinch salt
  • 1 cup honey
  • ¼ tsp rosewater

Instructions 

  • Set the oven to 350F
  • Put a layer of sized parchment paper on the base of an 8-inch spring-form pan
  • Lay your phyllo in a lightly damp kitchen cloth so it doesn’t dry out.
  • Carefully, one at a time, brush each phyllo sheet with butter (this can tear easily)
  • If any of your phyllo overhangs, trim it
  • Bake the dough for 12 minutes.
  • In the meantime, crumble the walnuts, almonds, and pecans using a food processor
  • Melt the butter and blend it with the nuts, adding cinnamon and salt
  • Spread the resulting mixture evenly over the phyllo dough
  • In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, salt, sugar, orange zest and lemon zest
  • Slowly incorporate one egg at a time
  • Follow with mixing in the yogurt
  • Transfer the batter to the pan, spreading it evenly
  • Bake for 45 minutes
  • Turn off the heat
  • Let the cheesecake rest for 1 hour in the oven
  • Mix the honey and rose water together.
  • Drizzle it over the cheesecake, and it’s ready to serve.

Notes

Factoid: Roses aren’t the only edible flowers. Some others are:
Chamomile: Reminiscent of apple
Daisies: Slightly bitter, with tones of nuts
Dandelion: Earthy. Slightly bitter
Daylily: Asparagus notes
Honeysuckle: Floral hints with honey
Lavender: Mint blended with rosemary
Marigold: Citrusy
Nasturtium: Taste somewhat like watercress
Pansies: A hint of wintergreen
Violet: Sweet and floral