Directions

• Labneh Cheesecake:
• Heat the oven to 300°F with a rack in the center of the oven.  Dig up a casserole dish or roasting pan that has enough space to hold your pie plate plus a water bath.
• In a small bowl, combine the sugar and orange zest, and rub them together with your fingers to release the orange’s natural oils.  
• Whip the cream cheese with an electric mixer or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer on high speed until it’s smooth.  Beat in the labneh and cream, on medium speed at first and working your way up to high; keep at it for 6 or 7 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until the mixture is not only smooth but also soft and airy, like a cloud made of buttercream.
• Decrease the mixer’s speed to medium, and add the eggs one at a time.  Stop the mixer, and add the vanilla and orange sugar.  Beat for another minute or two, just for good measure, and then scrape the custard into a 10-inch pie plate.  It will be thinner than the cheesecakes you’re used to – the custard will be about the consistency of cake batter.
• Set the pie plate inside the roasting pan.  Pour water, hot from the tap, inside the roasting pan so it comes about three-quarters of the way up the sides of the pie plate.  Bake the cheesecake for about 1 hour.  You’ll know when it’s done when the center looks soft and dry but feels pillowy under your fingertips.  It should still be pale, and may have tiny little cracks all around the edges; this is totally fine.  Let it cool completely before pulling the pie plate out of the water bath.  Proceed right away, or cover and refrigerate.
• To serve the cheesecake:  Make sure it is completely room temperature for maximum airy softness. Pour the caramel all over it, letting it spread to the edges, and scatter the nuts on top.  Dive in.
  
• Pomegranate Caramel:
• Melt the cream, molasses, and butter together in the microwave or in a small saucepan over low heat.  When the butter is fully melted and the sauce is hot, pour it into a heatproof bowl and set it aside.  You’ll want it still to be quite warm when you add it to the caramel.
• Add the sugar and corn syrup to a small saucepan, and pour the water evenly over them to moisten.  Use short, shallow strokes to incorporate the ingredients without tracking sugar up the sides of the pan, then set the pan over medium-low heat and, without stirring, let it melt and turn amber; this should take 15 – 20 minutes.  As it bubbles and darkens, you’ll be tempted to stir – but I’m serious – don’t.  Otherwise, the sugar may crystallize.  If you feel the need to mix them, just swirl the pan around a few times.   You can multitask with this , but keep an eye on the pan and never stray too far – caramel tends to change slowly, slowly and then very quickly the second it’s neglected.
• When the sugar is amber and bubbling like molten lava, immediately remove from the heat.  Slowly and carefully – it’ll bubble and hiss at first – whisk in the pomegranate molasses mixture.  Don’t worry if it seizes up at first; just keep whisking and it’ll pull itself together.
• Let the caramel cool completely before using it.  Leftovers can be stored at room temperature for about a week, or for much longer in the fridge, then brought back to room temperature or briefly heated on the stove or in the microwave until it’s easily pourable.
• Orange Blossom Candied Nuts:
• Heat the oven to 350°F, and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. 
• Coat the nuts with the butter and orange blossom water, then toss in the sugar, baharat, and salt.
• Spread the nuts in an even layer on the parchment, with a little space between them all so they don’t stick together, and bake for 10 – 15 minutes, rotating the pan every 5 minutes; you’re looking for the sugar to be caramelized and crisped all over the nuts.  Cool completely before using, and try not to eat them all in one breath.