Greek Yogurt Cheesecake with Ancient Grains & Spoon Sweets

5 from 1 vote
Forget Graham crackers in this delicious and light Greek recipe for cheesecake! I like to use traditional rusks, aka paximadia, made with ancient g rains such as barley or Zea wheat as my base. The yogurt gives this Greek recipe for cheesecake extra lightness and the spoon sweets make for an exotic, delicious topping.
5 from 1 vote

Greek Yogurt Cheesecake with Ancient Grains & Spoon Sweets

Servings 8
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 8 ancient barley or Zea wheat rusks
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon powder
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 1 17- ounce container plain full-fat Greek yoghurt
  • 8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
  • Salt
  • 1 cup Greek spoon sweets such as Orange, Bergamot, Vyssino or Quince, drained and syrup reserved

Instructions

  • Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 160°C. Coat a 9-inch spring-form pan with olive oil or butter. Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan with a large piece of foil and place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet.
  • Break apart the rusks by hand. In the bowl of a food processor, crush the rusks with the cinnamon and sugar. Add the melted butter and process until the crumbs are moistened. Press the crumbs into the bottom and about 1/2 inch up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust is slightly dry in appearance, and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Cool completely.
  • Meanwhile, combine the yogurt, cream cheese, eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla, lemon and orange zest and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor and process until well blended and smooth. Pour over the prepared crust and bake until the center is just set, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack, then cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.
  • After chilling the cheesecake, remove the spring-form ring. Slice and serve, topped with the drained spoon sweets and drizzle with a little of the reserved syrup. Garnish with mint and cinnamon powder if desired.

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If using any of the citrus spoon sweets, chop them after draining to make them easier to spoon over the cheesecake.

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Diane Kochilas is one of the world’s foremost experts on Greek and Mediterranean cuisine. She is the host, creator and co-producer of My Greek Table, the award-winning 13-episode per season cooking-travel show about Greece that airs nationally on Public Television. The series is in its third season.

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