This show-stopping desert will be the hit of all your holiday gatherings! Luscious Imported Goat Cheese gives an incredible creamy-tart edge to your typical cheesecake; while a gingersnap crust and gooey, spiced caramelized pears add a decadent finish.
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups crushed gingersnaps
- 6 TB melted butter
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ cup sugar
- Pinch salt
Filling – all ingredients at room temperature
- 2, 8 oz packages cream cheese
- 12 oz imported goat cheese
- 8 oz creme fraiche
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tsp ground ginger
Maple-Ginger Caramelized Pears
- 4 Bartlett pears cored and slice into ¼” thick slices
- 6 TB butter
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 3 TB maple syrup
- Pinch salt
- ¼ cup chopped candied ginger for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and coat a 9” springform pan with butter or cooking spray. Pulse gingersnaps in a food processor to a fine crumb, add remaining crust ingredients and pulse to combine. Press crumb mixture into the bottom and slightly up the sides of your prepared pan.
- Place cream cheese and imported goat cheese in a large bowl and use an electric mixer (or a stand mixer) to blend until fluffy and completely combined. Add creme fraiche and beat to combine, add eggs and beat to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add sugar, vanilla extract and ginger and beat until completely blended.
- Place the prepared pan in a large baking or lasagna pan filled 3” with water. Pour cheesecake batter on top of crust in your springform pan and carefully transfer to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, rotate your pan for even browing, and continue baking for an additional 30 minutes. Let cool at room temperature before removing your cheesecake from the water bath, cover with foil and and transfer to the refrigerator to completely chill for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- The day you’re ready to serve, make your Caramelized Maple Ginger Pears. Melt butter in a large nonstick saute pan over medium low heat and add pear slices, cut side down. Saute for 3-4 minutes or until lightly browned and then flip slices, cook for an additional 3-5 minutes for the other side. Add brown sugar, ginger, vanilla, maple syrup and stir to combine or until a thick syrup forms. Remove from the heat and arrange pears on top of your cheesecake in a pinwheel or pretty center pile, spoon remaining glaze over the top. Keep chilled until ready to serve and garnish with with chopped crystallized/candied ginger just before serving for a delicious bite.
- Enjoy!
