Baklava Cheesecake

Preheat oven to 350° F (177 °C).

Line an 8x8” pan with parchment, allowing it to hang over edges. You can also use a springform pan.

Thaw your [phyllo sheets], then cut them to about 10x10” for an 8x8” or similar sized pan. You want at least an inch to come up on the sides. Place one [phyllo sheet] on your parchment lined pan.

In a small bowl, mix the vegan butter (1 tbsp) and maple syrup (1 tsp), and brush this over the [phyllo sheet], then place another [phyllo sheet] over the top, and brush a little bit of the butter mixture again. Repeat for at least sheets (5 phyllo), then bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are nicely golden and the rest of the phyllo sheets are also somewhat golden. Remove from the oven and set this aside to cool. Start 10m timer

Drain the soaked raw cashews (1 cup) and add them to a blender along with the rest of the ingredients, and blend for a minute. Then let this mixture sit for 2 to 3 minutes, and blend again for a minute. Let it rest for another minute and blend for 0.5 a minute again. Check if the mixture is well-blended and smooth, then taste and adjust flavor at this time by adding more tang and sweet if you like. (For a more cream cheese-like flavor profile, can add a 2 to 3 tbsp of non-dairy yogurt or cream cheese to this mixture, and then blend again until smooth.)

Pour this blended mixture into the pan with the cooled [phyllo sheets] and even it out with a spoon or spatula.

Add all of the raw almonds (0.5 cup), raw pistachios (0.5 cup), and pecans (0.5 cup) to a small food processor, and pulse to make a coarse meal. (You can also chop the nuts with a knife into small pieces, if you would rather not use a food processor). Add the salt (0.25 tsp), lemon zest (1 tsp), and 9 soft dates (8 to), and pulse again until all the dates break down and the mixture is somewhat sticky. (If you are not using a food processor, mash the dates in a separate, small bowl. Add in a few teaspoons of non-dairy milk to make them easier mash, if needed, and then add in the chopped nuts and mix and press and mix so that you have a cohesive, somewhat sticky mixture.) If your dates aren't that soft, you can add in a maple syrup (1 tsp), either in the processor or in your bowl, so that the mixture isn’t too dry.

Take small portions of the nut mixture and sprinkle it all over the cheesecake layer, and then put it in the fridge for a few hours or freezer for at least hr (1) before you slice it. Drizzle some warm maple syrup (1 tbsp) on top and on the phyllo. You can also drizzle some more [maple syrup] on top after slicing and before serving, if you like. (I usually add a little lemon zest to the maple syrup). Start 60m timer

Alternate assembly: You can also make a top layer a full even layer with the nuts. For that, put the cheesecake layer in the freezer for hr (1) first to freeze, so that the nut layer doesn't sink in. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer and then press the [date-nut mixture] into a dough. Press that dough into a square that’s the size and shape of your pan and 0.25” to 0.125” thick. Press that over the cheesecake layer and spread it with your hands a little bit, then put it back in the freezer for another 0.5 hr or so before removing from the freezer. Start 30m timer

If you want the bars to be more solid, you can freeze them for another 1 to 2 hours longer, then remove the pan from the freezer. Using the hanging parchment paper, remove the cheesecake from the pan. Then, slice it with a warm knife into the slices size that you like, and serve.