Kimberly Zeidner's pear streusel cheesecake

( Josh Ritchie, Sun Sentinel / November 16, 2011 )

Kimberly Zeidner's pear streusel cheesecake

Crust

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 cup flour

Filling

1 tablespoon butter

3 Bartlett pears, cored, peeled, sliced into 1/3-inch slices

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon granulated ginger

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Topping

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To make crust, cream together butter and the sugar thoroughly in a medium bowl. Blend in the flour. Press onto the bottom and 1/2-inch up sides of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until slightly golden.

To make filling, melt butter in large saute pan over medium heat. Add pears, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger and sauteed 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with brown sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until just blended. Mix in sour cream and lemon juice.

Using a slotted spoon, arrange pears slices over crust. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the pears.

To make topping, mix together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter in a small bowl until mixture crumbles. Sprinkle over filling. Bake 45 minutes or until center is just set. Cool thoroughly at room temperature and then chill at least 4 hours or overnight.

Serves 8-10.

Nutrition information per serving: 466 calories, 52% calories from fat, 27 g fat, 17 g saturated fat, 113 mg cholesterol, 51 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein, 112 mg sodium, 2 g fiber