Cheesecake with crust made with melomakarono and pomegranate glaze

This is not another cheesecake recipe. Its special crust is made with blended melomakarono (a traditional Greek dessert prepared primarily during the Christmas holiday season) and its filling smells vanilla and lemon. Finally, the amazing glaze is a perfect combination of strawberries and pomegranate.

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Ingredients

For the crust

12 melomakarono

For the filling

700 g cream cheese, cold
Zest of a lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
100 g powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
300 ml whipping cream 35% fat, cold

For the glaze

½ of pomegranate
80 g strawberry marmalade
80 ml pomegranate juice
4 gelatin sheets

Instructions

Prepare a springform pan on top of the surface on which you are going to prepare the cheesecake. I do it by placing a springform pan without a bottom on top of a cake stand. You may simply use a Pyrex as an alternative.
Use a blender to ground the melomakarono and then transfer it to the surface you have chosen to prepare your cheesecake. Press the mixture into its bottom and transfer to the fridge.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix the cream cheese, the zest and juice of the lemon, the powdered sugar and the vanilla extract until all ingredients are combined.
Pour the whipping cream and keep on mixing until the filling is fluffy and set.
Remove the crust from the fridge and pour the filling over it. Use a spoon to smooth over its top.
Transfer to the fridge for at least one hour before you spread over the glaze.
Soak the gelatin sheets in a bowl of cold water until soft.
Pour the pomegranate juice and the marmalade into a pan and, using an eggwhisk, stir until combined.
When the mixture turn to boil, add the gelatin sheets. Stir properly until the gelatin is completely dissolved and remove from heat.
Allow 5 minutes to cool down and then add the pomegranate.
Allow the marmalade-pomegranate mixture to cool down at room temperature.
Using a large ladle spread the glaze on top of the cheesecake filling. Beware: you never pour the glaze right from the pan because this will cause cracks to the filling.
Transfer to the fridge and allow the cheesecake to chill for 3 hours or -even better- overnight.