Desserts & Baking

This one’s for serious bakers. The 1992 recipe takes inspiration from baklava, layering sheets of phyllo into a crust sprinkled with ground walnuts and filled with a honey-mascarpone mixture. The result: a sweet and creamy interior surrounded by a delicate, shatteringly crisp exterior, finished with rosemary and simmered cranberries for tangy contrast.

Ingredients

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Generously grease the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan. In a small bowl stir together nuts and granulated sugar.

2. Line a work surface with parchment paper. Unfold phyllo dough and place one phyllo sheet on parchment. While you work, keep the remaining phyllo sheets covered with plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out. Brush phyllo with some of the melted butter. Place another sheet on top of the first, rotating slightly to offset the corners; brush with a little more melted butter. Repeat with remaining phyllo sheets and butter.

3. Ease the phyllo stack into the prepared pan, pleating it as necessary and being careful not to tear the pastry. Sprinkle nut mixture over phyllo in pan.

4. For filling, in a large bowl beat cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, honey, and flour on low until smooth. Beat in milk. Using a spoon, stir in eggs and lemon zest. Carefully pour filling into crust.

5. Place springform pan on a large baking sheet. Bake until edges are set but center is still jiggly, 50 to 60 minutes.

6. Cool in springform pan on a wire rack 1 hour. Using a knife, loosen cake from sides of pan. Remove sides of pan. Cool 1 hour more. Cover and chill at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours.

7. If you like, top cheesecake with Cranberry-Rosemary Topper and dust with powdered sugar.

   When grinding nuts, be careful not to process to the point that the nuts form a paste.

Cranberry- Rosemary Topper

In a medium saucepan combine one 12-oz. bag fresh or frozen cranberries, 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp. lemon zest, 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, and 2 fresh rosemary sprigs. Bring to boiling, stirring to dissolve sugar; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered until cranberries have burst and mixture coats the back of a spoon. Cool completely.