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Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl and making sure there are no eggy bits visible before adding the next. Finally, beat in the flour and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.

Grind the walnuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a food processor fitted with the chopping blade until sandlike, not powdery.

Generously brush the inside and bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with about 1 tablespoon melted butter, making sure you coat the joint between the walls and the bottom.

Generously brush a sheet of phyllo dough with a little melted butter, then lay it in the pan, forming it into the pan and overlapping the sides. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of the ground walnut mixture evenly over the parts of the phyllo sheet that are below the pan’s rim.

Repeat with the remaining 3 sheets of phyllo, brushing them with butter, laying the second at a 90-degree angle to the first, sprinkling this second sheet with 1 tablespoon walnut mixture, and then continuing with the others until the pan is covered with overlapping phyllo sheets, each one sprinkled with 1 tablespoon walnut mixture.

Pour about half the batter into the phyllo-lined pan. Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons honey with the remaining walnut mixture. Sprinkle evenly over the batter.

Gently pour the remaining batter into the pan, taking care not to dislodge the walnut mixture. Scrape any excess out of the bowl and into the pan. Rap the pan a couple of times against your work surface to even out the batter. Trim any phyllo hanging over the edges of the pan with kitchen shears.

Bake until lightly browned and a little puffed, until the cake is set when jiggled but not completely firm, about 1½ hours.

To cool: Set on a wire rack until room temperature, about 2 hours.

To store: Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

To serve: Undo the metal ring from the springform pan and slip it off; serve the cake right off the bottom of the springform pan.

Apricot Cheesecake

Here’s a surprise: you can make a creamy, rich cheesecake with dried apricots and fat-free cream cheese. What’s more, the texture is smoother, even creamier than our ultimate cheesecake. Makes one 9-inch cheesecake

1 cup dried California apricots (see Note)

½ cup water

½ cup Grape-Nuts cereal

Nonstick spray

1 pound fat-free cottage cheese

1 pound fat-free cream cheese

½ cup packed light brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Place the apricots and water in a small saucepan and set it over medium-high heat. Bring the liquid to a simmer; then cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 4 minutes. Set aside to cool for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, grind the cereal in a mini-food processor or large food processor fitted with the chopping blade until about the texture of cornmeal.

Spray the inside of a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray, taking care to coat the sides and the joint against the bottom. Pour the cereal in the pan, then turn it to coat the bottom and sides with cereal.

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F.

Place the apricots in a food processor fitted with the chopping blade and process until almost pureed. Add the cottage cheese and process for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl; add the cream cheese, both sugars, and salt. Process until smooth.

Add the eggs one a time, processing the first into the batter before adding the second. Add the egg yolks and vanilla; again, process until smooth. Finally, scrape down the bowl one last time, add the flour, pulse until dissolved, then process until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake until set, until the cake will not jiggle when shaken but is nonetheless still a little moist at its center, about 45 minutes. Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar by a couple of inches, and leave the cake in the