Cinnamon Cheesecake topped with Spiced Pear Topping

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: North American

Keyword: cheesecake, dessert, pear

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 1 15

cooling time: 7 30

Total Time: 9 10

Servings: servings

Calories: 643kcal

Begin this Cinnamon Cheesecake a day prior to serving it. Prep time includes a 6 hour cooling period.

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
In a mixing bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter (and sugar if you're adding it) with a rubber spatula or your hands.
Grab a handful of the crumbs and squeeze them in your fist. The mix should stay clumped together. Add more butter if the mixture falls apart. If the mixture oozes butter through your fingers, add more graham cracker crumbs.
Use the bottom of your measuring cup to firmly press the crust into the bottom and 1/2-inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes.
Once done, remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool completely.
Don't turn off the oven!
When the pan is cool enough to handle, wrap the bottom and sides of the cheesecake pan in two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Grab a wide, shallow pan, and set the wrapped cheesecake pan inside of it. You want at least two inches of clearance all around the cheesecake pan, so anything bigger than 12-inches is great.
Put a pot with 6 cups of water on the stove. Bring it to a gentle boil on medium-high heat while you mix the cheesecake batter.
In a mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to blend the cream cheese on low speed until it is smooth or for 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down both the bowl and the beaters.
Add the brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice blend, and salt to the bowl and blend them into the cream cheese on 2nd speed for 1 1/2 minutes, or until smooth.
Scrape down both the bowl and the beaters once again.
Next, add all the eggs, the cinnamon and vanilla extracts to the bowl and blend them in on 2nd speed for another 2 minutes.
Finally, after scraping down the bowl again, add the cornstarch to the mixture.
Blend the cornstarch at low speed for 30-45 seconds. Don't overmix or beat the cheesecake batter after adding the cornstarch, or the cake will be gummy after baking.

Scrape the cinnamon cheesecake batter into the prepared cheesecake pan.
Pour the boiling water you started earlier into the outer pan and bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Turn the oven off and prop the door open 2 to 3-inches. Allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for an hour.
Remove the pan containing the cheesecake pan from the oven after 1 hour. Take the cheesecake pan out of the larger pan and unwrap it.
Allow it to cool to room temperature for 30-45 minutes.
Cover the cheesecake pan with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 6 hours. Overnight is always best, though.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a 4-quart skillet or pan.
Once the butter is melted, add the diced pears and cook them over medium heat for 5 minutes.
Add the brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice blend, and kosher salt to the pan, stirring them into the pears.
Simmer this mixture for 3-4 minutes, or until juices form in the bottom of the pan.
Add the Calvados to the pan and allow it to come to a simmer. Simmer the mixture for 5 minutes to evaporate most of the alcohol from the Calvados.
In a small mixing bowl, stir the water and cornstarch together with a whisk until smooth.
When the pear mixture is done simmering, stir the cornstarch slurry into the liquids in the bottom of the pan in a slow, steady stream.
Cook the topping for another minute, constantly stirring, until the mixture thickens to the consistency of thick syrup.
Finally, add the lemon juice to brighten the flavor of the sauce.

Once the spiced pear topping is done, remove the cheesecake pan's collar and top the cake with it. You can also allow the topping to cool completely and top the cheesecake later.
Slice and serve the Cinnamon Cheesecake after you top it with the spiced pear topping.
Drizzled in Spiced Toffee Sauce or serve it as is.

Replace the graham cracker crumbs with zwieback crackers, gingersnap cookies, Biscoff cookies, vanilla wafers, or animal crackers.
Anjou or Bartlett pears are good substitutions if you can't find Bosc.
You can replace the Calvados in this recipe with apple or pear juice if you abstain from alcohol.

You can make your cheesecake crust a day ahead and store it covered at room temperature.
A bain-marie gives the cheesecake a baking environment with a consistent temperature, which reduces the chances of your cheesecake developing a crack.
You can omit the cornstarch if you want a lighter cheesecake.
Make the Spiced Pear Topping about 30 minutes before you plan to serve the cheesecake. You can make it ahead, but the butter in the glaze firms up quite a bit, which makes it more jello-like when you eat it.
If the spiced pear mixture is too thick, thin it to your liking with 1 or 2 tablespoons of water or apple juice.
You can make the spiced pear topping a week ahead and store it in the fridge in a covered container.
Use the spiced pear topping to top pound cakes, ice cream, or stir it into your morning bowl of oatmeal.

To keep cheesecakes from getting gummy or hard, press a piece of parchment paper or wax paper against any exposed sides. You can also wrap cheesecake in plastic wrap.
Store the cheesecake in the fridge for up to 3 days after slicing.

Freeze the cinnamon cheesecake before topping it with the spiced pear topping.
Wrap cheesecake in two layers of plastic wrap and one layer of foil.
Freeze it for up to 2 months.
Thaw the unwrapped, frozen cheesecake in the fridge overnight, then slice and serve.