Recipes, re-invented from cooking shows
Ginger and Lemon Pear Cheesecake
Prep. Time:
Baking Time:
Total Time:
1 hour
1 hour 20 mins
6 hours
Serves:
One 9-inch cheesecake (12 slices)
Connie created this dish for Great British Bake Off ™ Series 17. Baking alongside her husband Myke, she topped a ginger and lemon Basque cheesecake with two fans of thinly sliced poached pear, one for each of them, and the judges loved the floral quality the pears brought. This version keeps the pea...
Read more
Ingredients
FOR THE POACHED PEARS: 3 cups water 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 lemon: 3 wide strips of peel and 1 Tbsp juice 4 thin slices fresh ginger 2 firm-ripe pears, such as Bosc or Comice
FOR THE GINGER AND LEMON BASQUE CHEESECAKE: 2 lb (four 8-oz blocks) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar 1/4 tsp fine salt 5 large eggs, at room temperature 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 lemons, finely grated zest only 2 tsp ground ginger 3 Tbsp finely chopped crystallized ginger 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour 1 1/4 cups heavy cream 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
FOR THE SYRUP GLAZE: 1 cup strained poaching liquor, from the poached pears
EQUIPMENT: 9-inch springform pan, at least 3 inches deep Parchment paper Stand mixer or hand mixer Medium saucepan Small saucepan Fine-mesh strainer Wire rack set over a tray Paper towels Pastry brush Thin offset spatula
Method
STEP 1: MAKE THE POACHING LIQUOR
Put the water, sugar, lemon peel, lemon juice and fresh ginger in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Make the pears first, or up to a day ahead.
STEP 2: POACH THE PEARS
Peel, halve and core the pears. Slip them into the liquor and keep it at a bare simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until a knife slides in with little resistance. Take the pan off the heat and let the pears cool completely in the liquor.
STEP 3: PREPARE THE PAN
Heat the oven to 425°F. Crumple two large sheets of parchment, open them out and press them, overlapping, into the springform pan so they stand about 2 inches above the rim.
STEP 4: MIX THE BATTER
Beat the cream cheese, sugar and salt until completely smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each. Mix in the vanilla extract, lemon zest, ground ginger and crystallized ginger. Sift in the flour and mix on low. Stream in the heavy cream, then the lemon juice, and mix until the batter is smooth and pourable.
STEP 5: BAKE THE CHEESECAKE
Pour the batter into the lined pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the top is a deep, scorched brown and the center still wobbles when the pan is nudged. The dark top is intended.
STEP 6: COOL AND CHILL
Cool the cheesecake in the pan at room temperature for 1 hour, then chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight. It must be fully cold and set before the pears go on.
STEP 7: DRAIN THE PEARS
Lift the pears from the liquor and stand them cut side down on a wire rack set over a tray. Drain for at least 30 minutes.
STEP 8: REDUCE THE GLAZE
Strain 1 cup of the poaching liquor through a fine-mesh strainer into a small saucepan. Boil until reduced to about 1/4 cup and syrupy. Cool until just warm.
STEP 9: SLICE AND BLOT THE PEARS
Slice each pear half lengthwise very thinly, keeping the slices in order. Lay the slices on paper towels and gently blot both sides dry.
STEP 10: FAN AND GLAZE THE PEARS
On a sheet of parchment, fan the slices from both halves of one pear into a single fan, then repeat with the second pear to make two fans. Brush the tops with the warm glaze using a pastry brush. Chill, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, until the glaze is tacky and set.
STEP 11: UNMOLD THE CHEESECAKE
Release the springform ring, lift out the cheesecake and peel back the parchment.
STEP 12: TOP AND SERVE
Just before serving, slide a thin offset spatula under each fan and set the two fans side by side on the cheesecake. Do not pour any leftover syrup over the top, as liquid soaks straight into the soft center.
What next?
Tell us what you'd like and we'll send what you pick.
Video walkthrough
Simpler recipe version
Printable recipe
Weekly recipe digest
Instructions
FOR THE POACHED PEARS:
3 cups water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 lemon: 3 wide strips of peel and 1 Tbsp juice
4 thin slices fresh ginger
2 firm-ripe pears, such as Bosc or Comice
FOR THE GINGER AND LEMON BASQUE CHEESECAKE:
2 lb (four 8-oz blocks) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 tsp fine salt
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
(/interesting-ingredients/vanilla-extract)2 lemons, finely grated zest only
2 tsp ground ginger
3 Tbsp finely chopped crystallized ginger
(/interesting-ingredients/crystallized-ginger)3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
FOR THE SYRUP GLAZE:
1 cup strained poaching liquor, from the poached pears
EQUIPMENT:
9-inch springform pan, at least 3 inches deep
Parchment paper
Stand mixer or hand mixer
Medium saucepan
Small saucepan
Fine-mesh strainer
Wire rack set over a tray
Paper towels
Pastry brush
Thin offset spatula
Heading 5
Ingredients
STEP 1: MAKE THE POACHING LIQUOR
Put the water, sugar, lemon peel, lemon juice and fresh ginger in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Make the pears first, or up to a day ahead.
STEP 2: POACH THE PEARS
Peel, halve and core the pears. Slip them into the liquor and keep it at a bare simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until a knife slides in with little resistance. Take the pan off the heat and let the pears cool completely in the liquor.
STEP 3: PREPARE THE PAN
Heat the oven to 425°F. Crumple two large sheets of parchment, open them out and press them, overlapping, into the springform pan so they stand about 2 inches above the rim.
STEP 4: MIX THE BATTER
Beat the cream cheese, sugar and salt until completely smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each. Mix in the vanilla extract, lemon zest, ground ginger and crystallized ginger. Sift in the flour and mix on low. Stream in the heavy cream, then the lemon juice, and mix until the batter is smooth and pourable.
STEP 5: BAKE THE CHEESECAKE
Pour the batter into the lined pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the top is a deep, scorched brown and the center still wobbles when the pan is nudged. The dark top is intended.
STEP 6: COOL AND CHILL
Cool the cheesecake in the pan at room temperature for 1 hour, then chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight. It must be fully cold and set before the pears go on.
STEP 7: DRAIN THE PEARS
Lift the pears from the liquor and stand them cut side down on a wire rack set over a tray. Drain for at least 30 minutes.
STEP 8: REDUCE THE GLAZE
Strain 1 cup of the poaching liquor through a fine-mesh strainer into a small saucepan. Boil until reduced to about 1/4 cup and syrupy. Cool until just warm.
STEP 9: SLICE AND BLOT THE PEARS
Slice each pear half lengthwise very thinly, keeping the slices in order. Lay the slices on paper towels and gently blot both sides dry.
STEP 10: FAN AND GLAZE THE PEARS
On a sheet of parchment, fan the slices from both halves of one pear into a single fan, then repeat with the second pear to make two fans. Brush the tops with the warm glaze using a pastry brush. Chill, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, until the glaze is tacky and set.
STEP 11: UNMOLD THE CHEESECAKE
Release the springform ring, lift out the cheesecake and peel back the parchment.
STEP 12: TOP AND SERVE
Just before serving, slide a thin offset spatula under each fan and set the two fans side by side on the cheesecake. Do not pour any leftover syrup over the top, as liquid soaks straight into the soft center.
Comments, or questions, for this recipe
Add a new comment