Talk about a fancy, restaurant quality cheesecake right there in your own dining room! I made this as part of a trio of cheesecakes for a wedding reception – the bride’s favorite! This is a no-bake cheesecake that will wow any guest!
Crust:
- 1 pkg shortbread cookies
- 3 tbsp butter, melted
Process the shortbread cookies in the food processor until a fine crumb forms. Spray 9 inch spring form pan with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. In a bowl, stir cookie crumbs and butter till well combined. Then, press into spring form pan and up the sides. Set this aside.
Cheesecake:
- 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 3/4 cup pure maple syrup, divided – don’t use the fake stuff here!
- 1 cup cold heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- 2 medium ripe pears, sliced lengthwise 1/8 inch thick – canned won’t work as well
Directions:
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on high until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup maple syrup; beat until smooth. In a medium bowl, beat cream and sugar on high until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. With a rubber spatula, stir about one-third the whipped cream into cream cheese mixture, then fold in remainder. Transfer to crust, smooth the top, and refrigerate until firm, 3 hours (or up to 1 day).
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange pear slices in a single layer on sheet and brush with 2 tablespoons maple syrup. Roast until pears are soft, 20 minutes. Remove from oven and heat broiler. Brush pears with 2 tablespoons maple syrup and broil until browned in spots, about 4 minutes, rotating sheet frequently. Let cool.
- Arrange pear slices, overlapping slightly, on cheesecake.
- To serve: place a slice on a dessert plate and lightly drizzle with maple syrup.
