Strawberry Cheesecake Baklava

Buttery layers of phyllo dough surround strawberry cheesecake filling to make this love child of 2 favorite desserts just in time for Valentine's Day.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 60 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 384 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen strawberries, thawed
• 1 cup white sugar, divided
• 2 cups drained cottage cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) package frozen phyllo dough, thawed

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 1 hour.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13x2-inch baking pan.

Step 3

Drain strawberries and reserve juice in a bowl. Chop into pieces and add any remaining juice to the bowl.

Step 4

Combine cottage cheese, cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, egg yolks, whole egg, vanilla extract, and lemon zest in a bowl. Blend together using an electric mixer on medium speed. Stir in the drained strawberries.

Step 5

Place phyllo dough sheets between dampened towels to keep moist.

Step 6

Place 1 phyllo sheet on the prepared pan. Brush with melted butter. Repeat until 1/2 of the sheets are left.

Step 7

Spoon the strawberry-cheese mixture over the top layer of phyllo; spread evenly. Layer the remaining phyllo sheets on top, brushing each with butter.

Step 8

Combine 1/2 cup reserved strawberry juice, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook into a thick syrup, about 5 minutes.

Step 9

Spoon hot syrup evenly over the baked baklava. Let cool before cutting into pieces.