Baklava cheesecake cups

PREP + COOK TIME 55 MINS

SERVES 16

100g pistachios

½ cup (110g) caster sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

6 sheets filo pastry, cut in half crossways

50g butter, melted

2 teaspoons icing sugar, plus

2 ¼ cups (360g) extra

750g cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons rosewater

1 ½ teaspoons finely grated lemon rind

¼ cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice

¾ cup (180g) pomegranate

arils (seeds)

125g raspberries, torn in half

POMEGRANATE SYRUP

½ cup (125ml) pomegranate

juice (see tip)

¹⁄³ cup (75g) caster sugar

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Line two oven trays with baking paper.

2 Place nuts on an oven tray and roast for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to a food processor. Cool. Process cooled nuts until finely ground. Transfer ground nuts to a small bowl with caster sugar and spices, stirring to combine. Wash oven tray to cool. Re-line with baking paper.

3 Place one pastry half on each oven tray. Lightly brush with melted butter. Sprinkle ¼ cup nut spice mixture between the two pastry halves. Repeat layering with pastry halves, butter and nut mixture, finishing with nut mixture on top. Bake for 15 minutes or until pastry is golden. Cool. Dust with icing sugar, then cut baklava into small pieces. Store in an airtight container until needed.

4 To make the pomegranate syrup, stir all ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes or until mixture is thick and syrupy.

5 Process extra sifted icing sugar, cream cheese, rosewater, lemon rind and juice until smooth.

6 Spoon ¼-cups of cream cheese mixture into ¾-cup (180ml) containers. Top with baklava pieces, pomegranate arils and raspberries. Just before serving, drizzle with the pomegranate syrup.