Recipe: {gluten-free} Maple-Pear Cheesecake

If for some reason I got put on death row, it would be for stealing all the cheesecake and then eating it. Said cheesecake would also be my requested last meal. That’s how much I love it. I’m not kidding.

I actually love cheesecake so much that I don’t make it and eat it very often because I’m afraid that I may get sick of it and not like it anymore. It’s a vicious cycle, really, of cream cheese-scented nightmares and graham cracker-crust reveries.

But when holidays like Thanksgiving come along, all rules are thrown out the window. This time around, I was assigned (along with the four other desserts already on my menu) to create something gluten-free, and whaddya know, cheesecake fits that description rather well.

In general, cheesecake is nearly completely gluten-free except for the crust, which I made using this recipe. In the spirit of fall, I squished together a few other recipes floating around on the interwebz and baked up a maple-sweetened version topped with maple-roasted pears.

Normally, I make do with a cheaper imposter of maple syrup because money don’t grow on trees. However, for this recipe, I’d recommend going full baller status and using some Canadian, Grade A syrup because it will change your life, and if there is any time to ball out, the holidays are it.

Stick ‘em up.

Gluten-Free Maple-Pear Cheesecake

[ingredients]

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. In a heavy medium saucepan, boil maple syup over medium-high heat until reduced to 1 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to almost room temperature.
3. In the bowl of stand mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until very smooth. Add flour, salt and mix. Then add the reduced maple syrup, sour cream, and vanilla extract.
4. Add in the eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Pour into the cooled crust and tap the sides vigorously to release any air bubbles.
5. Bake for 1 hour and 40 minutes until the top is evenly browned and the center is barely jiggly. Let cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate overnight.
6. For the pears: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.
7. Arrange the slices evenly on the baking sheet and brush  liberally with maple syrup. Roast until the pears are soft, about 20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
8. Before serving, arrange roasted pears on top of the chilled cheesecake, overlapping the slices to fit.