Cheesecake Poire Chèrve

Silky, smooth, luscious cheesecake made with goat cheese. Goat cheese might not be a go-to choice of cheese for a cheesecake, but it is a healthier substitute for cream cheese and adds dimension to this dessert. The spiced poached pear adds warm tones and the caramelized biscuits compliment the earthy flavours of goat cheese. So let your palette experience a smooth ride to heaven after digging into this cheesecake.

Serves: 8

Ingredients

Cheesecake

225g Cream cheese

112g Goat cheese

112g Sour cream

3 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbsp Vanilla extract

250g Arnott's Malt 'o' Milk biscuits

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

Poached Pear

1.5 Pear sliced

3 Tbsp Lemon juice

2 Tbsp Brown sugar

1½ Tbsp Honey

2 Cloves 1 tsp Cinnamon powder Pinch of Nutmeg *All ingredients should be at room temperature

Method

Step 1- Cheesecake

In a food processor, add your biscuits and pulse them until finely ground.

Alternatively, you can add them to a zip lock bag and beat them with a rolling pin. In a bowl, melt your butter; once slightly cooled, add it to the biscuit crumbs and mix well.

Step 2

Take a springform 8-inch cake tin and spread the biscuit crumbs evenly on the base. With a flat bottom glass, level the crumbs. Wrap the tin and place it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Add goat cheese, cream cheese and sour cream to a bowl. With a hand beater, mix the ingredients at low speed.

Step 3

Then add one egg at a time. Scrape down the bowl from time to time. Then add sugar, followed by vanilla extract—Preheat the oven to 120°c. Take the tin out of the freezer, and pour the batter into the tin. Seal the tin with a double line of aluminium foil.

Step 4

In a roasting pan, place a kitchen towel, place the cake tin on the kitchen towel and pour boiling water up to 2 inches. Place the roasting pan in the oven. Bake the cake for 1hr 20 minutes or until the sides set, and the middle is slightly jiggly. Once the cake is baked, let it cool in the oven for about 2 hours with the door ajar.

Step 5

After 2 hours, take the roasting pan out of the oven. Remove the cake tin and let it cool for another 2 hours. Then wrap the tin and place it in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight.

Step 6- Spiced Pear

Add lemon juice, honey, brown sugar, cloves, cinnamon powder, and nutmeg to a pan. Place on medium heat. Stir well. Now add your pear slices and cook for 3-5 minutes on medium heat or till the pear slices get soft. Then take off the heat and let it cool down to room temperature. The place in the refrigerator.

Step 7- Assembly

The following day take your cheesecake out. Insert a long sharp knife in the side and run it around the tin. Then open the tin and slowly lift it. With a flat spatula, lift the base of the cake and place it on the plate. Place the pear slices on the cheesecake and serve with some blackberries.

Tips

1. Stop once everything is mixed well. Make sure to keep the speed low while combining the ingredients. This step will ensure that no air is locked in the batter.

2. Make sure to let the cheesecake cool down in the oven after baking. This ensures no crakes on the surface of the cheesecake.

3. Baking the water bath is the secret to a creamy cheesecake.