Ingredients
| ½ cup of mixed nuts (I used hazelnuts, almonds & pistachios) | |
| ¼ teaspoon cardamom seeds | |
| ¼ teaspoon coriander seeds | |
| ½ teaspoon salt | |
| ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon | |
| ½ cup bulghur wheat | |
| 75g butter | |
| 200g creamy feta, at room temperature | |
| 250g cream cheese, at room temperature | |
| 2 eggs | |
| ¼ cup caster sugar | |
| juice of 1 lemon and zest of ½ lemon | |
| 2 tablespoons honey | |
| 2-3 apples, peeled, sliced | |
| ¼ cup pomegranate seeds (optional) |
I am not a fan of overly sweet desserts, but I do love a baked cheesecake. To add a more savoury note to this cheesecake I have used feta giving a delicious sweet-salty combination. I have also used bulghur wheat for a sugar-free base which gives a texture almost like rice pudding, but you can replace this with a regular crushed biscuit base if you prefer.
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Instructions
| 1. | Heat the oven to 160°C. |
| 2. | Lay the nuts on a baking tray and roast for 10 minutes until golden and toasted. If using pistachios, leave them unroasted to retain their vibrant colour. |
| 3. | Toast the cardamom and coriander seeds in a dry frying pan for 30 seconds until just fragrant then grind to a powder with ¼ teaspoon of the salt. |
| 4. | Chop the nuts roughly and mix with the cardamom mixture and cinnamon. Store in an airtight container. |
| 5. | Line the base and sides of a 12 x 20cm (or similarly sized) loaf tin. |
| 6. | Put a frying pan (use one that has a lid) over a medium heat, add the bulghur wheat and 1 tablespoon of the butter and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. |
| 7. | Add the remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, pour over ¾ cup water and bring to the boil. |
| 8. | Turn to a low heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes. |
| 9. | Add the remaining butter, cover and leave for a few minutes to melt, then mix together. |
| 10. | Press into the bottom of the lined tin and set aside. |
| 11. | Raise the oven temperature to 180°C. |
| 12. | Put the feta in a bowl and break apart with a fork. |
| 13. | Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth. |
| 14. | Beat in the eggs, sugar and lemon zest. |
| 15. | Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 30 minutes until just set. |
| 16. | Cool and refrigerate for up to 4 days. |
| 17. | To serve, put the honey and lemon juice in a frying pan and heat until bubbling. |
| 18. | Add the apples and cook for 10 minutes until caramelised. |
| 19. | Cool a little then pile on top of the cheesecake and sprinkle over the nuts and spices. |
| 20. | Garnish with pomegranate seeds if using. |
Recipes & food styling Fiona Smith / Photography Aaron McLean / Styling Fiona Lascelles