Cardamon and Spice and everything nice; Day 19

The final recipe for the dinner party was the piece de resistance, a cardamon infused pear cheesecake.

Fresh cardamon pods are quite expensive but so worth it, when you taste the amazing intensity of the flavour they add to dishes.

This intensity is a regular part of the Middle Eastern diet, but instead of overwhelming the dish it enhances the natural sweetness of the pears.

We have been lucky enough to head down to Mt Ruapehu for the weekend, so I will be taking a brief break from cooking. This morning has dawned bright and early so I am looking forward to churning up the powder!

Otherwise here is the delicious recipe;

Cardamon infused Pear Cheesecake

Serves: 8 – 12

Ingredients

100g butter, melted
200g of Milk Arrowroot Biscuits
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp of nutmeg
4 cardamon pods – with seeds removed
2 Pears – sliced thinly
500g of Lite Cream Cheese
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
3 teaspoons vanilla essence
250g of sour cream

Directions

Heat oven to 170°.
In a medium bowl, crush the milk arrowroot biscuits – I used the pestle to crush it.
Melt the butter in the microwave.
Add the nutmeg and cinnamon to the biscuit mix.
Then combine the butter into the biscuit mix.
Press the mixture into a 9-inch springform pan, working the crumbs over the bottom and then up the sides.
Bake for 20 minutes, then leave the crust to cool for about 10 minutes.
Crush the cardamon pods and remove the seeds. Crush into a powder.
Slice the pears thinly and add to a small bowl with the powdered cardamon. Toss together and leave to sit.
Line the cooled crust with the pears, overlapping the slices slightly.
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, beat the cream cheese for 2 minutes – it’s really important that the cream cheese is at room temperature.
Add 1 cup of the sugar and beat for 2 minutes.
Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and mix until combined. Stir in 2 teaspoons of the vanilla.
Pour the mixture over the pears.
Bake until the top is barely set but still slightly wobbly, about 50 minutes.
Transfer pan to a wire rack but leave oven on.
In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and the remaining sugar and vanilla.
Pour over the cheesecake and bake for 8 minutes.
Transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.