Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (150 g) Ginger Snap or Digestive Biscuits, finely crushed
  • 4 tbsp (56 g) Unsalted Butter, melted
  • 2 tbsp (25 g) Granulated Sugar (for crust)
  • Pinch of Fine Sea Salt (for crust)
  • 3 medium Conference Pears (or Bosc/Anjou), firm, peeled and cored
  • 2 cups (475 ml) Water (for poaching)
  • 1 cup (220 g) Granulated Sugar (for poaching)
  • 2 inches (5 cm) Fresh Ginger, thinly sliced (for poaching)
  • 1 Cinnamon Stick
  • 1 Star Anise
  • 32 oz (900 g) Full-Fat Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups (300 g) Granulated Sugar (for filling)
  • 4 tbsp (60 g) All-Purpose Flour (Plain Flour)
  • 1 tbsp Fresh Ginger, grated (approximately a 1-inch piece)
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • ½ tsp Ground Cinnamon (for filling)
  • Pinch of Ground Nutmeg
  • 4 large Eggs, at room temperature
  • ½ cup (120 ml) Sour Cream or Crème Fraîche, at room temperature
  • Thinly sliced candied ginger pieces (for garnish)

Instructions:

  1. Prepare Poaching Liquid: In a saucepan, combine water, sugar, sliced ginger, cinnamon stick, and star anise. Bring to a simmer until sugar dissolves.
  2. Poach Pears: Add the peeled and cored pears. Simmer gently for 15–20 minutes, or until the pears are just tender but still hold their shape. Remove from heat and allow the pears to cool completely in the liquid. Remove pears, pat dry. Dice one pear for the filling and thinly slice the remaining two for the garnish. Reserve the poaching syrup.
  3. Prepare Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Combine crushed biscuits, melted butter, sugar, and salt. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
  4. Blind Bake Crust: Bake for 8–10 minutes until lightly set. Remove and reduce oven temperature to 325°F (160°C). Wrap the outside bottom and sides of the pan tightly with two layers of heavy-duty foil for the water bath.
  5. Mix Filling Base: In a stand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese on low speed until perfectly smooth (1–2 minutes). Gradually beat in the sugar, flour, grated ginger, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg until just combined, scraping down the sides often.
  6. Add Wet Ingredients: Incorporate the eggs, one at a time, mixing only until the yellow streak disappears after each addition. Do not overmix. Gently fold in the sour cream/crème fraîche and the diced pear reserved from Step 2 using a spatula.
  7. Bake in Water Bath: Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Place the foil-wrapped pan inside a larger roasting pan. Carefully fill the roasting pan with boiling water until the water reaches halfway up the side of the springform pan.
  8. Bake and Cool: Bake for 65–80 minutes until the edges are set and the center has a slight wobble. Turn the oven off, prop the door slightly ajar, and allow the cheesecake to cool slowly in the water bath inside the oven for 1 hour.
  9. Chill and Garnish: Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and foil. Let it cool fully on a wire rack at room temperature (about 1 hour). Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours, or ideally overnight, until firm. Just before serving, arrange the thinly sliced poached pears decoratively on top. Drizzle with a reduction of the reserved poaching syrup and sprinkle with candied ginger pieces.