A couple of Christmases ago, we decided to stick around England for the holidays, which meant I would be responsible for planning and preparing Christmas dinner. My mind immediately went to ‘What will we have for dessert?’ since I knew my Mother wouldn’t be here to make any of my favorites (funny how my mind went directly to dessert, and not to roasting a turkey, or making stuffing, which I’d never done before).

I began my quest for the perfect dessert and found this:

Behold: Pear and Amaretto Cheesecake.

This is undoubtedly the most decadent cheesecake I’ve ever eaten. Pure bliss.

I’ve posted the recipe below, and wouldn’t change a thing. It’s now become a holiday staple in our house. :) You can find the full recipe here compliments of the fabulous Gordon Ramsay.

Method

1. First, poach the pears for the filling. Peel, quarter and core the pears, then cut into 1cm dice. Dissolve the sugar in the water in a small saucepan over a low heat. Split the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds into a large bowl; set aside for later. Add the pod to the sugar syrup and simmer for a few minutes to infuse. Add the diced pears and poach gently for about 3 minutes. Drain and leave to cool.
2. For the cheesecake base, blitz the digestives in a food processor to fine crumbs, then tip into a bowl. Melt the butter in a small pan and stir in the chocolate spread. Add to the biscuit crumbs and mix well. Spread the mixture evenly over the base of a 23–24cm springform cake tin, pressing down lightly. Chill for at least 20 minutes until set.
3. For the filling, add the cream cheese and sugar to the vanilla seeds. Using a hand whisk, beat the mixture until well blended. Add 450ml of the cream and the liquer and whisk to soft peaks. Fold in the crushed amaretti and poached pears.
4. Spoon the filling on top of the biscuit base and level the surface. Chill for at least 30 minutes, or until firm. Spread over the remaining cream to form a thin layer and then chill again.
5. For the decoration, melt the chocolate into a heatproof bowl over a pan of hot water, then spread in an even layer on a marble slab or the underside of a clean baking sheet. Leave until just set, then draw a sharp knife across the surface at an angle of about 25 to shave off large curls
6. To unmould the cheesecake, run a hot thin-bladed knife around the edge and remove the side of the tin. Slide a palette knife under the cheesecake and transfer to a flat plate. Arrange the chocolate curls decoratively on top, then dust with icing sugar. Cut into slices to serve. This dessert will keep in the fridge for a day or two.

Enjoy!

~Mandy