BAKLAVA CHEESECAKE (SERVES 8)

Ingredients:

For the lo and cookie crust:

nd

Softened vegan butter for the pan;

200g digestive biscuits or another crunchy cookie; 2tbsps unsalted vegan butter, melted;

10 sheets of lo (see note).

For the nut crumble:

280g walnuts;

60g pistachios; grated zest of 1 orange;

1tsp ground cinnamon;

140g agave nectar or vegan honey.

For the cheesecake lling:

120g cashews, soaked for 30 minutes and drained; 180ml coconut cream (see note);

180g plain vegan cream cheese;

60ml maple syrup or agave nectar;

60ml fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons); 1tbsp corn our

Method:

Make the lo and cookie crust – preheat the oven to 180˚C/160˚C fan/gas 4. Lightly butter the base and sides of a 20cm springform tin.

In a food processor, combine the cookies and melted butter and pulse until the mixture looks like wet sand.

Working quickly so the lo doesn’t dry out, layer the lo sheets all along the sides and base of the tin, covering the whole tin. Press the cookie mixture onto the lo.

Make the nut crumble – in a food processor, combine the walnuts, pistachio, orange zest and cinnamon and pulse until roughly ground. Add the agave and pulse again to combine. Dollop about half of the nut mixture over the crust and set the rest aside.

Make the cheesecake lling – in a high-powered blender, combine the cashews, coconut cream, cream cheese, maple syrup, lemon juice and corn our and blend until completely smooth. Taste and adjust the avours as you like, adding more lemon juice for tang or maple syrup for sweetness.

Pour the lling over the nut mixture. Give the pan a good tap on the worktop to remove any air bubbles. Bake until the edges of the cheesecake start browning and come away from the sides, for 45-60 minutes. e centre should still be a little jiggly but not wet.

Leave the cheesecake to cool for about 15 minutes, then cover and transfer the cake to the fridge for at least ve hours, ideally overnight.

Dollop the top of the cheesecake with the reserved nut crumble. Slice and serve with a drizzle of (vegan or cashew) cream.

Note: You could also make this cheesecake without the lo layer. You would just start by pressing the cookie layer into the tin without buttering it rst. Also, you can either buy a tin of coconut cream or you can refrigerate coconut milk for 30 minutes and skim o the thick cream at the top. ai coconut milk is perfect for this.