Pear Ginger Cheesecake

This baked pear ginger cheesecake is absolutely divine. A subtle sweet pear smoothness with a slight gingery crunch crust.       

Pear Ginger Cheesecake

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1 1/4 cups crushed ginger cookies

1/4 cup melted butter or margarine

1 can pear halves, drained and patted dry

3 packages (250g each) Philadelphia Brick Cream Cheese, softened

3/4 cup caster sugar

1 teaspoon rum flavouring 

3 eggs

3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Heat the oven to 350ºF. Line the bottom of the spring form pan with baking parchment paper. Set aside. 

Mix the cookie crumbs and butter together; press into the bottom of the prepared spring form pan. Arrange the pear halves over the crust.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar together using an electric mixer, until well blended. Add the rum flavouring and eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed after each other, until just blended. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the pears.

Bake in the preheated oven 45 to 50 minutes or until the centre is almost set. Run a knife around the rim of the pan to loosen the cake; allow to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Refrigerate for 3 hours. Sprinkle the toasted almonds on top before serving.      

Notes: the recipe asked for Christie Pantry Ginger Cookies; I could not find those particular ones so I used  whatever ginger snap cookies were available instead. 

High winds made it hard to get into the garden this long weekend however what the wind brought the sunshine made up for. Hope everyone had a lovely one. - JD