by David Fisco
27 December 2011
Word count: 342
Dessert | Baking
This is an easy cheesecake with a unique flavor. The walnuts, honey and vanilla, while compelling on their own, combine to add surprising chocolate notes. The cake leaves a satisfying honey aftertaste.

For the crust:

195 grams of butter cookies
4 tablespoons melted butter

Grind cookies in food processor until fine. Mix in the melted butter with a fork until fully incorporated. Spread on bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and pack down with the back of a spoon, making sure the bottom edges of the pan are sealed with the mixture. Bake in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes, remove and cool to room temperature.

Equipment needed

  • digital scale
  • food processor
  • stove or microwave oven
  • bowl or pan for melting butter
  • fork
  • 9-inch springform pan
  • tablespoon
  • convection oven
  • bowl for beating eggs
  • cookie sheet
  • measuring spoons
  • stand mixer with paddle
  • foil for water bath
  • pan larger than the springform for the water bath
  • pan or bowl for boiling water
For the cake:

1.5 cups (150 grams) walnuts
3 8-ounce bars cream cheese at room temperature
3 large eggs, lightly beaten, at room temperature
1/2 cup (168 grams) honey
1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt

Toast walnuts on a cookie sheet in a 350°F oven, begin checking after 8 minutes, although they will probably take 10-12 minutes to toast. They are toasted when they have browned, but not burned, and the nuts are fragrant. Cool to room temperature. Grind the cooled walnuts in a food processor until the oils in the nuts just begin to cause the walnuts to turn into a "nut butter". On a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, combine, on low speed, all ingredients except the nuts. Add the nuts a spoonful at a time, incorporating after each addition. Pour into the springform pan. Bake at 300°F in a water bath for about one hour and thirty minutes, or until the center is set, but not dried out. Be sure to waterproof the outside of the springform pan by covering it with foil.