Kunafa cheesecake

Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4.

To make the syrup, combine 200g of caster sugar, water, cinnamon sticks and pods in a medium-sized pot placed over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Allow to sim-mer for approx. 10 minutes or until reduced and thickened slightly. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

To make the base of the cheesecake, melt 85g of ghee and break 170g of kunafa pastry into small pieces in a medium-sized bowl. Add the melted ghee and 80g of caster sugar into the bowl and mix together using your hands, until evenly coated.

Line a 20cm cake tin.

Arrange the kunafa mixture into the base of the tin, firmly pressing down to form an even layer.

Bake for 20 minutes.

While the pastry’s still hot, pour 4 tbsp of the syrup over or just enough to coat the surface. Allow it to cool completely.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream to stiff peaks then place in another bowl to refrigerate. Using an electric hand beater, beat the (room-temp) cream cheese and 100g of caster sugar together on a medium speed until smooth and creamy. Juice the lemon. Scrape down the sides and add in the icing sugar, room-temperature sour cream, 2 tsp of lemon juice and vanilla extract. Beat for 2-3 minutes on high, until smooth.

Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream-cheese mixture, then spoon into the cake tin with the cooled kunafa base and make sure the surface is smooth. Wrap the tin tightly with aluminium foil and refrigerate for approx. 6-8 hours or until set.

Meanwhile, make the topping. While the kunafa is semi frozen, break up 180g of it into small pieces. In a large pot or pan, melt 85g of ghee and 100g of caster sugar together, stirring until dissolved. Add in the kunafa and stir to coat evenly. Continue stirring gently until golden brown and crunchy. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool completely.

When ready to serve, loosen the chilled cheesecake from the rim of the springform pan using a thin knife, then re-move the rim. Top with the crispy kunafa and pomegranate seeds.