Honey and Tahini Baked Cheesecake

Honey and tahini baked cheesecake is a perfect Fall treat. Flavored with cinnamon and cardamom, this slightly nutty, slightly caramel, honey cheesecake is perfect for dessert!

I don’t often make cheesecake but this honey and tahini  baked cheesecake seems so seasonal, that it seemed perfect for the Jewish holidays.

It is traditional to break our fast for Yom Kippur with a dairy meal.

A frozen cheese souffle is also on our table; I’ve been making this for over 40 years. So good. You really should try it.

This blintz casserole is also on my list. Easy and good, it always disappears fast. Plus it can be assembled in 15 minutes which is a good thing when you are hangry and haven’t eaten all day.

My frozen fruit in muffin cups would be a great accompaniment but our group has someone that always makes a very good fruit salad.

Lox and bagels are also served with the last of summer’s tomatoes and then there is dessert.

There has to be dessert, right?

Sometimes I bake some honey cake or this apple cake, or this simple pie crust apple strudel, but this year I experimented on friends with this honey cheesecake with tahini.

It was a hit. So just possibly Wednesday night might find me baking this again.

This baked honey cheesecake is made in a hot water bath, which shouldn’t sound scary, as it’s as easy as boiling water.

Why a water bath for cheesecake?

The steam created by the water helps the cheesecake rise slowly which helps prevent cracks on the surface of the cake.

To make a water bath simply boil a tea pot of water.

After sealing your springform pan with foil-so that nothing seeps out, place the pan in a roasting pan. Pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes up about 1″ in the sides. Then it’s a matter of placing the cheesecake into the oven to bake.

How to tell when a baked cheesecake is fully baked?

Cheesecake is done baking when there is a slight jiggle in the middle of the cake.

Why do some cheesecakes crack?

Truthfully, I don’t think there is anything wrong with a crack but apparently some find them not too pretty. 

To avoid cracking do not overbeat the eggs. Overmixing adds a lot of air to the cheesecake, so just beat the eggs in slowly. 

Most importantly, use the water bath described above!

Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature AND make sure to completely cool the cake before refrigerating overnight.

I loves this simple creamy cheesecake. The tahini lends a slight nutty taste, but the brown sugar and honey give a nice caramel profile.

Adding in the cinnamon and cardamom gives this baked cheesecake a special Fall flavor.

Don’t like either? Or just one or the other? Simply use what you like.

And if you want to skip the honey just double the brown sugar.

I promise-it’s all good.

Sorry for my intermittent postings over the last few weeks.

I must have been crazy for thinking I would really be able to work during this wedding month.

Zoe has planned a 3 night weekend plus brunch. Her guests and family are coming from all over to celebrate with her. 

She’s hired a caterer and wedding planner, florist, band and tent, photographer, videographer, and a rental company. Plus an electrician to make sure the lights stay on!

This wedding is not a hotel wedding or at a wedding venue. It is at a park where everything needs to be supplied. She has done this and more and I hope she can just take a minute to enjoy herself as it unfolds.

Need an explanation for why you have not been seeing this blog or newsletter? Well, that was it and I’m guessing you totally get it!

Honestly, I miss my little piece of quiet while I write, and truthfully I had no idea that our home would become quite so chaotic.

But chaotic in a good way and I wouldn’t change it for one minute. (Though it would be nice to have an assistant!)

This will only happen once in my life. After all Zoe is the only daughter I have and at this point Alex will probably just elope if he ever finds someone to elope with!

So bear with me the next few weeks, OK?

Honestly, this wedding has consumed our entire house-and I mean that literally.

My art studio is filled with wine. My laundry room is filled with liquor.

Every closet is filled with goody bag stuff, or 70’s party stuff or decorations for the meet and greet.

I kid you not, Zoe has not forgotten one thing and if she has no one will know it. I still am not sure how it will all get to Aspen, but it will!

Having three kids in the house plus an extra dog is something I haven’t been done in a very long time. And I never had three kids!

We have been working in every area of the house. Evan is at the dining room table. Zoe is at the desk I just bought under the stairs. Manservant is in his private office which I am now coveting.

Alex works wherever and me-well, I’m still at my desk where I hear everyone on their respective conference calls and each person that enters the kitchen to peruse leftovers in the fridge. And trust me they never do it at the same time!

Then there are the two dogs that bark at every delivery and fart while under my desk. Yes, it smells so good around here. 

I run the dishwasher every day and empty it every day. I pick up two dogs leftovers-you know what I mean- every day and feed them generally.

Zoe’s dog sheds like crazy but I am trying to ignore it as I am trying to ignore shoes and water bottles and coffee cups and water glasses and folded laundry that I folded for every member of this household. Then if I’m lucky they manage to carry it to their room. All this so I can wash my own clothes.

All in all we have gotten along well. We have tried to name cocktails but none of us came up with a name that was Zoe approved. Soon we will have a family napkin tying event as it appears the caterer doesn’t tie napkins the way the bride would like them. 

I could go on, but I believe you get the picture.

Now back to cake. As she decides on wedding cake, I urge you to try this baked cheesecake. 

At this point keeping things as simple as possible is my mantra and this cake is that.

It’s also sweet with honey, sugar and spice and everything nice. That’s what little girls are made of.

You know where my head’s at!

Need a Few More?

Middle Eastern Cheesecake

Burnt Cheesecake

More Jewish Recipes

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