Rosewater Pistachio Cheesecake
Creamy, dreamy Rosewater Pistachio Cheesecake with floral and nutty notes.
Ingredients
- For the Crust: - 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs - 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- For the Filling: - 3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened - 1 ½ cups granulated sugar - ½ cup sour cream - 4 large eggs - 1 teaspoon rosewater - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract - ½ cup shelled pistachios, finely ground
- For the Topping: - ¼ cup shelled pistachios roughly chopped - Rose petals (optional, for decoration)
Instructions
- Get Started: Make the Crust First, let's make the crust. In a medium bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar. Press this mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Make sure it's even so your cheesecake base is nice and flat.
- Pre-bake the Crust Bake the crust in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 8-10 minutes. This helps it set up and become golden brown. Once baked, take it out of the oven and let it cool completely while you make the filling.
- Mix the Cream Cheese Filling Now, for the star of the show – the creamy filling! In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and sugar together with an electric mixer until it's smooth and creamy. Make sure there are no lumps.
- Add the Wet Ingredients Mix in the sour cream, eggs, rosewater, and vanilla extract. Beat everything together until it's just combined. Be careful not to overmix at this stage – just until everything is nicely blended.
- Stir in Pistachios Gently stir in the finely ground pistachios. This will give your Rosewater Pistachio Cheesecake that wonderful nutty flavor throughout.
- Pour and Bake Pour the cream cheese filling over the cooled crust in the springform pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven at 325°F (160°C) for 60-70 minutes, or until the cheesecake is set but still has a slight jiggle in the center. This is important to prevent cracking.
- Cool and Chill Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake cool inside the oven with the door slightly ajar for about an hour. This slow cooling helps prevent cracks. After an hour, take it out and let it cool completely at room temperature. Then, cover it and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight. Chilling is key for a perfect cheesecake texture.
- Decorate and Serve Once chilled, carefully remove the cheesecake from the springform pan. Decorate the top with roughly chopped pistachios and rose petals if you like. Now, your beautiful Rosewater Pistachio Cheesecake is ready to be served and enjoyed!