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johnredbeard
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Pre-heat the oven to 325ºF.
Place the graham cracker in a food processor and process to obtain fine crumbs.
Melt the butter and mix with the crumbs.
Press the mixture on the bottom of an 8” or 9” cheesecake pan. If using an 8” springform pan, it must be deep.
Bake the crust in the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove it from the oven and let it cool down completely.
Add the butter to a large frying pan with high sides over medium heat.
Once the butter melts, add the kataifi to the pan and stir to coat.
Continue to cook for a few minutes, always stirring to ensure the kataifi is evenly toasted. It can take anywhere from 8 to 10 minutes, depending on how high the heat is.
Remove from the pan once the pastry is golden brown.
Add the pistachio paste, tahini, and stir to combine. Set aside.
Beat the cream cheese for 3 minutes with a mixer at medium speed, until creamy.
Add granulated sugar to the bowl and beat for another minute.
Add the pistachio paste, the sour cream, and the tahini. Beat for another 2 minutes, scraping the bowl in between.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated before adding the next egg. Add the almond, vanilla extract, and salt, and mix.
Grease the exposed sides of the cheesecake pan.
Spread half of the kataifi filling on top of the baked and cooled crust. Press it down with a spatula to pack it on the bottom.
Pour the cheesecake batter over, and smooth it out with a spatula. Give the pan a few gentle taps against the counter.
Wrap the bottom of the pan with a few layers of foil.
Place the pan in a larger roasting pan, and add hot water to the roasting pan, to form a water bath.
Bake the cheesecake in the pre-heated 325ºF oven for 60 to 70 minutes.
Turn the oven off, and leave the cheesecake in there for 1 hour.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and place it in the fridge for at least 6 hours.
Heat up the heavy cream until 180F.
Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let it stand for a minute. Whisk until the chocolate has completely melted with the cream.
Spread a thin layer of ganache on top of the cheesecake. Use an offset spatula to smooth it out.
Top with the remaining kataifi filling. Press it down to pack it tightly.
Top with the remaining ganache and spread it out to cover the pastry.
Sprinkle chopped pistachio nuts on top. Let the ganache set for about 20 minutes before serving.
Store the cheesecake in the fridge for up to 5 days, in a sealed container. It can also be frozen for up to 1 month.
Notes
Pistachio Paste: you will need 1 ¼ cups of pistachio paste for this recipe. Use store-bought or make it yourself. This homemade pistachio paste recipe makes 1 cup, I recommend doubling the recipe just in case.
Chocolate Bear Grahams: The bears are measured in cups before being processed into crumbs. Check below for substitutions.
Crust: If you can’t find the chocolate graham cracker bears, you can use regular chocolate graham crackers, Chocolinas, chocolate Maria cookies, or Oreos. You can also use digestive biscuits instead of graham crackers for the cheesecake and make a plain crust that’s not chocolate flavored if you wish.
Kataifi Pastry: Kataifi pastry is a type of shredded phyllo dough, often used in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean desserts. It looks like fine strands of angel hair pasta and bakes up beautifully crisp and golden. You can usually find it in the freezer section of international or Mediterranean grocery stores, or online. Just make sure you’re getting the shredded kind, not regular phyllo sheets