Maple Cheesecake with Roasted Pears

5 from 4 votes

Maple Cheesecake with Roasted Pears

I was dubious about the pears on this maple cheesecake at first, I admit it. But they were ah-maze-ing. The maple flavor is just a hint, not overpowering.

Prep Time16

Cook Time35

Cooling Time3

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: Servings

Calories: 458kcal

Author: The Food Charlatan

Ingredients

For the crust:

46 vanilla wafers about 6 ounces
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter melted

For the cheesecake:

2 8-oz packages cream cheese room temperature
3/4 cup pure maple syrup divided
1/2 teaspoon maple extract or up to 1 teaspoon
1 cup cold heavy cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Nonstick cooking spray
2 medium pears such as Bosc or Bartlett, sliced lengthwise 1/8 inch thick

Instructions

Make the crust first. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, pulse cookies until finely ground (you should have about 1 1/2 cups). Add sugar, salt, and butter and pulse until combined.
Firmly press crumb mixture into bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9 1/2 inch springform pan. My new favorite trick is to use a measuring cup to press it into the corners, works great. Bake until crust is dry and set, about 10-12 minutes. Let cool completely. Stick it in the freezer or the fridge.
In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat cream cheese on high until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup maple syrup and the 1/2 teaspoon maple extract; beat until smooth.
In a medium bowl, beat cream and powdered sugar on high until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. With a rubber spatula, stir about one-third the whipped cream into cream cheese mixture, then fold in remainder. Transfer to crust and refrigerate until firm, 3 hours (or up to 1 day).
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray, or use a silpat. Arrange pear slices in a single layer on sheet and brush with 2 tablespoons maple syrup. Roast until pears are soft, about 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and turn on the broiler. Brush pears with 2 tablespoons maple syrup and broil until browned in spots, about 4 minutes, rotating sheet frequently. Keep an eye on it! Never walk away from your broiler! Let cool. To serve, arrange pear slices, overlapping slightly, on cheesecake.

Notes

I added 1/2 teaspoon maple extract, and might even add more next time ( I wouldn't go much over a teaspoon). I was going for a stronger maple flavor, and even with the added extract it wasn't over-the-top at all.

Nutrition

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