We credit the classic French dessert of poires belle Hélène, spiced poached pears with chocolate sauce, as the flavor inspiration for these creamy bars. Indulge in the perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavors of luscious cheesecake kissed with cozy notes of cinnamon and vanilla bean nestled atop roasted Bartlett pears on a chocolate cookie crust. Adorn the top with whipped cream and paper-thin slices of candied pears for an extra layer of elegance to your dessert.
Roasted Pear Cheesecake Bars
Makes 12 to 16 bars
Ingredients
- 3 cups (410 grams) cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (about 36 sandwich cookies with filling), finely crushed
- 8 tablespoons (112 grams) unsalted butter, melted and divided
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1½ pounds (680 grams) firm fresh Bartlett pears, peeled, halved, and cored (about 4 large pears)
- 1 cup (200 grams) plus 2 tablespoons (24 grams) granulated sugar, divided
- 3 (8-ounce) packages (680 grams) cream cheese, softened
- 3 tablespoons (24 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon (18 grams) vanilla bean paste
- ¾ teaspoon (1.5 grams) ground cinnamon
- 4 large eggs (200 grams), room temperature
- 1 cup (240 grams) sour cream, room temperature
- Whipped cream and Candied Pear Slices (recipe follows), to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray a 13x9-inch baking pan with baking spray with flour. Line pan with heavy-duty foil, letting excess extend over sides of pan.
- In a large bowl, stir together cookie crumbs, 6 tablespoons (84 grams) melted butter, and ¼ teaspoon salt until well combined; using a small straight-sided measuring cup, press into bottom of prepared pan.
- Bake until set and fragrant, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 425°F (220°C).
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. On prepared pan, toss together pears, 2 tablespoons (24 grams) sugar, and remaining 2 tablespoons (28 grams) melted butter until well coated. Arrange pears cut side down.
- Bake for 20 minutes; turn pears, and bake until soft and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes more. Let cool completely on pan. Finely chop pears; spread evenly onto prepared crust. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F (170°C).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese at medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add flour, vanilla bean paste, cinnamon, remaining 1 cup (200 grams) sugar, and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt; beat at low speed just until combined. Increase mixer speed to medium, and beat until well combined, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined after each addition. Add sour cream; beat at medium-low speed until combined, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Pour mixture onto prepared crust, spreading into an even layer with a small offset spatula. Tap pan on a kitchen towel-lined counter a few times to release air bubbles. Place baking pan in a large roasting pan.
- Position oven rack so top of roasting pan is 6 to 6½ inches from top heating element; place roasting pan in oven, and add hot water to come 1 inch up sides of baking pan.
- Bake until edges are set, top looks dry, center is almost set, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 150°F (66°C) to 155°F (68°C), 35 to 45 minutes, loosely covering with foil to prevent excess browning, if necessary. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 1½ to 2 hours. Refrigerate in pan on a wire rack overnight, loosely covering with foil only when completely cool to prevent condensation from forming on top.
- Using excess foil as handles, carefully remove from pan, and transfer to a cutting board. Using a warm dry knife, cut into bars. Serve immediately with whipped cream and Candied Pear Slices.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Candied Pear Slices
Makes 15 to 20 slices
Ingredients
- 2 cups (480 grams) plus 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water, divided
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) fresh lemon juice
- 1 large firm fresh Bartlett pear (112 grams)
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (42 grams) light corn syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°F (90°C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or greased foil. Reserve another baking sheet and another silicone baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, stir together 1¾ cups (420 grams) water and lemon juice until well combined.
- Halve pear, and slice paper-thin, cut side down, on a mandoline. Place pear slices in lemon water for 5 minutes. Gently remove pear slices, discarding lemon water, and pat dry with a clean towel. Arrange pear slices on prepared pan, ensuring slices are not overlapping. Top pear slices with reserved mat and then reserved pan.
- Bake until dry, about 1 hour. Remove top pan and mat. Bake 10 minutes more. Let cool completely on pan.
- In a small wide-rimmed heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together sugar, ¼ cup (60 grams) water, and corn syrup. Cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil, using remaining 1 tablespoon (15 grams) water to brush down sides of pan. (Do not stir once it starts to boil.) Cook until desired light amber color is almost reached and a candy thermometer registers 315°F (150°C). Remove from heat, and let stand until bubbles settle, about 1 minute. (Caramel will darken a bit more as it sits.)
- Using a pair of tweezers or small tongs, carefully dip pear slices into hot candy, and return to silicone mat; let cool completely. Use as desired.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
The cheesecake was very nice. The Oreo crust was a little too sweet.
The pear slices never dried so they could be candied! Disappointing.
The cheesecake was nice: light with that mellow roasted pear flavor. Easy to put together and serve. The candied pear slices were an epic fail. After nearly two hours in the oven, my slices were still wet and even bubbling under the silpat.
To serve: I opted for a dollop of sweetened whipped cream and toasted pecans. Delightful.
Next time: use half of the Oreo filling and all of the cookies to lessen the sweetness or make a gingersnap crust instead; add half again the amount of roasted pears; use the dehydrator for the pear slices or dip pecan halves in the caramel with dramatic pulls.
Question: how well does the cheesecake freeze? I worried that the pears might weep, but there wasn’t anything left to put in the freezer!
Hi RJ,
We did not test for freezing the cheesecake. You could try freezing them, except the pears might get darker after thawing and they may weep a little. For the candied pear slices, the pear slices need to be as thin as possible; paper thin, such that you can see through easily it when it is sliced. They also need to be thoroughly dried out in the oven. If the oven temperature is not hot enough, it will not dry out well and the caramel will not stick to it. Hope this helps and happy baking!