I don’t know why it’s been this long since my last cheesecake. I just forgot how tasty and creamy a dessert like this can be! And that is too bad because my son absolutely loved this cheesecake, so much as to say it tops off chocolate! Imagine that – a cheesecake is better than a bar of chocolate! Hard to believe, I know, but hey, it’s his words and I trust his taste on this one!
This ginger pear cheesecake was a total hit with my little family. We loved the soft, melt-in-your-mouth filling, the crisp crust, the heavenly topping and the oh-so-delicious sugar syrup poached pears. Such a simple dessert and yet one that impresses on all levels! It looks great, you can cut into it and get beautiful slices and more importantly, it tastes like a piece of heaven!
{Ginger Pear Cheesecake}
Author: Olguta - Pastry Workshop
Ingredients:
Reconstructed pate sucree:
- 75g butter, softened
- 30g powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- 30g almond flour
- 150g all-purpose flour
- 1 pinch salt
- ------------------
- 40g butter, melted
Cream cheese filling:
- 400g cream cheese
- 90g powdered sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 whole eggs
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 55ml heavy cream
Topping:
- 120ml heavy cream
- 15g powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated ginger
Poached pears:
- 3 medium-size pears, peeled and cored
- 700ml water
- 180g white sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cardamom pods, crushed
- 1 star anise
Directions:
Deconstructed pate sucree:
- Mix the butter with 30g powdered sugar in a bowl until creamy and pale.
- Add the egg and almond flour and mix well then stir in the flour and salt. Mix just until combined then spread the dough between two sheets of paper.
- place in the fridge for 30 minutes then bake the dough in the preheated oven at 350F for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.
- Allow to cool down in the pan then break into pieces and place in a food processor. Pulse until ground then add the melted butter.
- Transfer the mixture into an 18cm diameter cake ring or pan.
- Press the pate sucree well to form an even layer at the bottom of the ring/pan.
- Place aside until needed.
Cream cheese filling:
- Mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a bowl for 5 minutes.
- Add the egg yolks and eggs and mix well then stir in the vanilla and stream in the heavy cream.
- Pour the filling over the pate sucree base.
- Bake the cheesecake in the preheated oven at 260F for 1¼ hours.
- When done, turn the oven off and allow the cheesecake to rest in the oven for 15 more minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool down in the ring/pan.
Topping:
- Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla in a bowl until stiff.
- Add the ginger and mix well.
Poached pears:
- Combine the water, sugar and spices in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.
- Peel and core the pears then carefully drop them in the hot syrup.
- Lower the heat and cook for 30 minutes then turn the heat off and leave the pears in the syrup for at least 1 hour.
To assemble the cheesecake:
- Remove the cheesecake from the ring/pan and place it on a serving board.
- Top with the ginger whipped cream and finish of with poached pears.
- Spun sugar can be a great decoration to make just before serving.
Notes
Make the pears a day ahead and allow them to cool down and infuse in the spiced sugar syrup.
ROMANIAN
In copilarie, branza era rezervata pentru placinta, placintele si mamaliga cu branza. Cheesecake-ul e o nascocire mult mai recenta, dar una care ne-a prins in mrejele ei. Cremos, onctuos si mai mult decat delicios, un cheesecake e un desert relativ usor de facut si impresionant, mai ales cand il finisezi cu o smantana batuta si cateva pere posate. Minune dulce a cofetariei!
Cheesecake cu pere si ghimbir
Author: Olguta - Pastry Workshop
Ingredients:
Pate sucree reconstruit:
- 75g unt, temperatura camerei
- 30g zahar pudra
- 1 ou
- 30g faina de migdale
- 150g faina alba, cernuta
- 1 praf de sare
- -----------------
- 40g unt, topit
Umplutura:
- 400g crema de branza
- 90g zahar pudra
- 1 galbenus
- 2 oua intregi
- 1½ lingurite extract de vanilie
- 55ml smantana pentru frisca
Topping:
- 120ml smantana pentru frisca
- 15g zahar pudra
- ½ lingurita extract de vanilie
- ½ lingurita ghimbir proaspat ras
Pere posate:
- 3 pere medii, coapte dar ferme
- 700ml apa
- 180g zahar alb
- 1 baton scortisoara
- 2 pastai cardamom
- 1 stea anason
Directions:
Pate sucree reconstruit:
- Mixati untul cu zaharul pudra intr-un bol pana devine cremos.
- Adaugati oul si faina de migdale si mixati bine, apoi incorporati faina si sarea. Mixati pana sunt bine combinate apoi intindeti aluatul intre doua foi de copt.
- Dati la rece pentru 30 minute apoi coaceti in cuptorul preincalzit la 180C pentru 15-18 minute sau pana devine auriu.
- Lasati sa se raceasca in tava apoi transferati intr-un robot de bucatarie si pulsati pentru a faramita.
- Adaugati untul topit apoi transferati amestecul intr-o tava sau inel de tort de 18cm diametru si presati in tava pentru a obtine un strat uniform.
Umplutura:
- Mixati crema de branza cu zaharul 5 minute.
- Adaugati galbenusul si ouale apoi vanilia si smantana in fir subtire.
- Turnati compozitia peste crusta.
- Coaceti in cuptorul preincalzit la 130C pentru 1¼ ore.
- Inchideti cuptorul si mai lasati cheesecake-ul in cuptor pentru inca 15 minute.
- Lasati sa se raceasca in tava.
Topping:
- Mixati smantana cu zaharul pudra pana devine ferma.
- Adaugati vanilia si ghimbirul ras.
Pere posate:
- Combinati apa, zaharul si condimentele intr-un vas. Dati in clocot.
- Curatati perele de coaja apoi dati-le drumul in lichidul fierbinte.
- Fierbeti la foc mic pentru 30 minute apoi lasati-le sa se raceasca in sirop.
Pentru a asambla cheesecake-ul:
- Asezati prajitura pe un platou.
- Intindeti deasupra un strat de smantana cu vanilie si ghimbir.
- Scurgeti perele si asezati-le deasupra.
- Decorati cu fire de zahar caramelizat daca doriti.
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