What could be better than these two luscious desserts infused into one?

Make this for the Holidays or anytime of year and you will have all the “sweet tooth” men and women falling at your feet. Now, if you are at a Greek party, your dessert will be received as “Ambrosia” referred to as the food and drink of the Gods! Said to have been brought to the Gods in Olympus by Doves! You won’t need the doves to help you bring in this delicious food gift… any old platter will fade at the sight of this cheesecake!

The first bite is just heaven, the second bite has you wanting more… by the time you are finished you won’t care that you had to undo the top button of your pants to breath!

The truth be told, I am not a fan of Cheesecake or Baklava, but the combo is amazing!

Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 70 min
Yield: 9″ Cheesecake

Ingredients

Baklava Filling
  • 1 box phyllo (fillo) dough (Athens 9″x14″ sheets/ 2rolls /20 sheets in each)
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 1 1/3 cup slivered almonds
  • 1 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 2 cups chopped hazelnuts
  • 1 tbsp. McCormick roasted Saigon cinnamon
  • 1 teasp. freshly grated nutmeg
Drizzle Syrup
  • 1 cup honey
  • 2 cups,sugar in raw or white sugar
  • 1 teasp. salt
  • 1 ½ cups water
  • 1 orange (quartered & squeeze juice in syrup over strainer, then drop orange in pot)
  • 2 cinnamon sticks broken
  • 1 cup Nutella
Cheesecake Filling
  • 2 ½ 8oz packages cream cheese 20oz
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ teasp. salt
  • 16 oz Greek yogurt plain
  • ½ cup Nutella
  • 3 eggs room temp.
  • 1 teasp. vanilla

Directions

Make the Nutella Drizzle Honey Syrup first. Actually, the day before is even better, so it thickens. Combine all ingredients in a pot and slowly bring to a boil stirring often.
When it cools take out cinnamon stick and whisk in Nutella. Toast all the nuts in a 350 oven for 8-10 min., let cool. Place all the nuts in a food processor, pulse until small rough chop. Not finely Ground. Toss with cinnamon and nutmeg, set aside.

Place cream cheese, sugar & salt in a mixer or food processor and pulse until smooth. Add yogurt and mix well. Then add vanilla and eggs one at a time until blended and smooth. Remove 2/3 of Cream cheese mixture from cusinart. Add Nutella to cusinart with remaining batter and pulse until smooth.

Melt butter and lay out Phyllo dough. Butter pan, then taking one sheet at a time lightly butter phyllo, fold in half and then lay half in pan with an overhang, repeat with 9 more pieces overlapping as you work to complete the circle and the bottom of pan is completely covered.

Pour enough syrup to nuts to coat, mix very well, then spoon ½ of the nut mixture in bottom of pan on top of phyllo. Gently spread to cover bottom. Lightly butter 3 more 2 more sheets of phyllo, fold and lay inside pan to cover the nuts. Gently pour the cheesecake mixture on top and spread evenly. Place spoonfuls of the Nutella cream cheese mixture into the pan, with a knife carefully make a figure 8 swirl just twice. Butter 2 more pieces of phyllo, fold and place on top of cheesecake mixture, add rest of nut mixture. Fold the overlapping pieces of phyllo over top of cheesecake mixture. Fold overlapping pieces of phyllo over nut mixture. Lightly butter the phyllo again and place 2 more pieces of phyllo folded in half on top.

Score the phyllo as if you were cutting pieces of pie, butter and place in the 325 oven for 60 minutes. Turn oven up to 350 for 70 min, then turn off oven and let cheesecake sit in oven for 30 min. Remove and cool to room temp. Sprinkle ½ cup toasted chopped hazelnuts and drizzle with Nutella syrup.

Enjoy!