Description
A rich and luxurious Middle Eastern-inspired dessert made with layers of chocolate cookie crust, pistachio kataifi, creamy cheesecake, and smooth chocolate ganache.
Ingredients
Chocolate Cookie Crust
2½ cups chocolate bear grahams (230g)
7 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (98g)
Pistachio Kataifi Filling
150g shredded kataifi dough, chopped
6 tbsp unsalted butter (85g)
¾ cup pistachio paste (300g)
2 tbsp tahini (30g)
Pistachio Cheesecake Batter
680g cream cheese, softened (3 x 8 oz packages)
1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
⅓ cup sour cream, room temperature
½ cup pistachio paste
2 tbsp tahini
3 large eggs, room temperature
¼ tsp almond extract
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
Chocolate Ganache
1¼ cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate or chocolate chips (212g)
¾ cup heavy cream (180 ml)
Decoration
Chopped pistachios for topping
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325ºF.
2. Process chocolate grahams into fine crumbs and mix with melted butter.
3. Press into an 8” or 9” cheesecake pan and bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely.
4. Add butter to a pan and stir in kataifi dough. Toast for 8-10 minutes until golden.
5. Mix toasted kataifi with pistachio paste and tahini. Set aside.
6. Beat cream cheese until creamy. Add sugar and beat again.
7. Add pistachio paste, tahini, and sour cream. Mix thoroughly.
8. Add eggs one at a time, followed by almond extract, vanilla, and salt. Do not overmix.
9. Grease the sides of the pan. Layer half of the kataifi filling over the crust.
10. Pour in cheesecake batter and smooth out.
11. Wrap the pan in foil, place in a roasting pan, and add hot water to create a water bath.
12. Bake for 60–70 minutes. Jiggle to test. Leave in the oven off for 1 hour.
13. Chill in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight.
14. Heat cream to 180°F and pour over chopped chocolate. Wait 1 minute, then whisk to create ganache.
15. Cool ganache until spreadable.
16. Spread half the ganache over chilled cheesecake. Add remaining kataifi filling.
17. Top with more ganache and chopped pistachios.
18. Let set for 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
You can use chocolate graham crackers, chocolate Maria cookies, or crushed Oreos as substitutes for chocolate bear grahams.
Kataifi pastry is a shredded phyllo dough used in Middle Eastern desserts. Find it in the freezer section of international or Mediterranean grocery stores.
Make sure cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature to prevent lumps and cracks.
You can refrigerate the ganache and kataifi filling ahead of time—just warm slightly before assembling.
Store cheesecake in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Middle Eastern