Pear and Ginger Cheesecake

This unique ginger and pear combination is a perfect dessert for the entertaining season. The natural sweetness from the Australian Pears provides the ultimate 'pear-ing' with ginger, ricotta and caramel.

This recipe works well with Beurre Bosc or Packham pears
Recipe by: @sugaretal

 
Makes an 8 inch round cheesecake serving 8-10 people
Prep time: 30 mins; cook time: 60 mins

Ingredients:

2 pears, peeled, cored and chopped into small cubes
200 digestive biscuits (approx. ½ a pack)
75g unsalted butter, melted
2 tubs (750 g) smooth ricotta
½ cup castor sugar
1 tsp powdered ginger
4 medium eggs, lightly beaten
Crystallized ginger (optional)

Caramel Poached Pears:
5 Pears, peeled, halved or quartered and cores removed
4 cups water
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
½ cup heavy cream

40 g salted butter

Method: 
Preheat oven to 170 degrees C (150 degrees C for fan-forced ovens). Grease the base and sides of an 8 inch spring form pan.
Process the biscuits in a food processor until they form a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and mix. Pour the mixture onto the base of the pan and press with your fingers to form an even crust. Refrigerate until needed.
Beat the ricotta, sugar and powdered ginger together until smooth. Add the eggs, a little at a time and continue to beat till fully blended. Fold in the chopped pears.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the oven for approx. 50-60 minutes.
While the cheesecake is baking, poach the pears. In a large pot, combine the water and sugar over mediumhigh heat. Add the lemon juice. Once sugar has dissolved, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Submerge pears in the simmering liquid, adding more water if necessary to just cover the pears. Cut a piece of parchment paper into a circle large enough to cover the pot. Ease the paper down into the pot until it is touching the surface of the liquid.
Simmer the pears until a knife inserted directly into a pear meets little resistance, about 30 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and cool the pears completely in the poaching liquid.
To make the caramel sauce to drizzle over the pears, reduce the poaching liquid to about ½ a cup. Add the cream and butter and simmer till mixture is thick and glossy.
When the cheesecake has baked and a crust starts to form all over the cheesecake (the top will become light golden brown) and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean, turn off oven, leave the door ajar and let cheesecake cool completely before releasing the sides. Refrigerate until ready to serve. The cheesecake can be refrigerated and stored covered up to 3 days in the fridge.
When ready to serve, top with caramel poached pears and crystallized ginger (optional).