Description
Silky vanilla cheesecake in a gingersnap crust topped with fans of ginger-poached pear.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (220 g) fine gingersnap cookie crumbs
- 6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 tsp fine salt, plus 1/8 tsp for filling
- 16 oz (454 g) full-fat block cream cheese, room temperature
- 3/4 cup (90 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 1 1/2 tsp (5 g) unflavored powdered gelatin
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) cold water
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream, cold
- 3 firm-ripe Bosc pears, about 1 1/2 lb (680 g)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice
- 1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
Instructions
- Mix gingersnap crumbs, melted butter, and 1/4 tsp salt. Press firmly into a 9-inch (23 cm) removable-bottom tart pan and chill 30 minutes.
- Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and remaining salt until smooth.
- Sprinkle gelatin over cold water and bloom 5 minutes. Melt gently, temper with 2 tbsp cream-cheese mixture, then beat into the main bowl.
- Whip cold cream to medium peaks and fold into the cream cheese in three additions.
- Spread in the crust and refrigerate at least 6 hours.
- Core pears and cut into thin slices. Simmer gently with lemon juice, granulated sugar, ginger, and 1/2 cup water for 4-7 minutes, until flexible.
- Drain pear slices on a rack and cool completely. Reduce 2 tbsp poaching liquid until lightly syrupy, then cool.
- Arrange pears over the set tart and brush very lightly with syrup. Chill 30 minutes before releasing and cutting into 10 slices.
Notes
Use block cream cheese, cool and drain pears completely, and add the fruit only after the filling has fully set.