Caramelized Ginger Pear Cheesecake Food

PEAR-GINGERSNAP CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Fill a roasting pan halfway with water and set on a rack in the lower third of the oven; position another rack in the middle and preheat to 325 degrees F. Wrap the outside (bottom and side) of a 9-inch springform pan with foil. Make the crust: Pulse the gingersnaps in a food processor until finely ground. Add the melted butter and brown sugar and pulse to combine. Press into the bottom and about 1 inch up the side of the prepared pan; set aside.
• Prepare the pears: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pears, sprinkle with the granulated sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pears are tender and lightly browned around the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the molasses and continue cooking until syrupy, about 2 more minutes; set aside.
• Make the filling: Beat the Neufchatel cheese and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and flour and beat until just combined, then add the sour cream and beat until smooth, about 1 more minute.
• Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Gently arrange the pear slices on top; set aside any extra molasses syrup at room temperature for serving. Transfer the cheesecake to the oven, placing it on the middle rack directly over the water bath. Bake until lightly browned and set around the edge but the center still jiggles slightly, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until cold and set, at least 6 hours or overnight. Let the cheesecake sit at room temperature 20 minutes, then run a thin knife around the edge and remove the springform ring. Drizzle with the remaining molasses syrup.

CARAMELIZED GINGER CHICKEN

Steps:

• Cut each chicken thigh into three equal pieces. Place in a large bowl with the ginger, two-thirds of the oil, and salt and pepper. Cover and marinate for about 6 hours in the refrigerator.
• Heat a large, heavy-based frying pan and pour in the remaining oil. Fry until the meat is colored, about 2 minutes, then drain away the excess oil.
• Add the fish sauce, cover the pan with a lid, and steam until the sauce has dissolved, about 1 minute.
• Now add the prepared caramel to the pan and cook until the caramel has thickened and coated the chicken in a rich golden color, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• To serve, arrange the chicken pieces on a serving platter and garnish with watercress.

CARAMELIZED GINGER-PEAR CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450°F.
• Combine gingersnap crumbs and butter; press onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 10-inch springform pan.
• Beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add sour cream and vanilla; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour into crust.
• Bake 10 min. Reduce oven temperature to 250°F; continue baking 20 to 25 min. or until center is almost set. Cool 10 min. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool completely.
• Arrange pears over cheesecake. Mix remaining sugar and 2 Tbsp. reserved pear liquid in large saucepan. Cook, without stirring, on medium-high heat until sugar is dissolved and syrup turns a deep golden color. (Do not over cook.) Remove from heat. Combine ginger and 2 Tbsp. of the remaining reserved pear liquid; carefully add to the hot sugar mixture, stirring until blended. (Syrup will bubble up. Be careful.) Immediately drizzle over cheesecake. Refrigerate 4 hours or until chilled.

CARAMELIZED GINGER AND GINGERED CARAMEL

Steps:

• Caramelized Ginger: Cut a ginger root to fit into a plastic bowl with a lid.
• Cover the ginger root pieces in sherry.
• Let this sit until the ginger is fully soaked through with sherry, which can take a month or more.
• The ginger will be dark tan in color and firm and somewhat stringy in texture.
• It will be almost translucent.
• Remove the ginger root from the sherry and set the sherry aside for later.
• Cut the rind off of the ginger root and cut the inner portion into pieces about the size and thickness of 1/2 a dime.
• Put the small ginger pieces into a bowl and cover completely with sugar.
• I had about 1/4 cup of ginger and I put in about 3/4 cup of fine grained white sugar.
• Add back about 2 tablespoons of the sherry.
• The resulting mixture, with the ginger pieces in it, is a thickish but runny syrup.
• Put a mound of sugar (at least a cup) on a plate or in a small bowl and set it aside where you can reach it when you are standing at the stove.
• Cook the ginger/sugar/sherry mixture on the top of the stove until it boils but not until it darkens, (i. e., remove it from the heat before the sugar starts to burn).
• Stir a couple of times while the mixture is heating.
• Use a slotted spoon and remove the ginger pieces from the boiled liquid and plop them onto the sugar mound, keeping them separate from each other as much as possible.
• Spoon more granulated sugar over the top and let this sit for about 1 minute.
• Then stir the whole thing to coat the ginger with sugar.
• Let it sit for 5 minutes, then remove the ginger pieces and set them on a piece of baking paper to air dry.
• Gingered caramel: The boiled sherry/sugar stuff that's still in the pan can be boiled up again for about 30 seconds.
• Just as it starts to brown, remove it from the heat and add two or three tablespoons of butter.
• Let it cool for a few minutes and then pour the now very thick caramel onto more baking paper.
• This is fantastic caramel!
• Notes: This recipe starts with about 2 four inch pieces of ginger root and the yield is about 1/4 cup of caramelized ginger and about 1/3 cup of gingered caramel.
• I happened to have cooking sherry on hand so that is what I used.
• I had purchased two or three small (maybe 4 inches long) pieces of ginger root and I had not used them for anything.
• I had heard that you can soak your ginger in sherry to preserve it so I had cut the roots into 2 inch pieces, give or take, and covered them in sherry in a plastic bowl with a lid.
• I forgot about the ginger and it sat on my kitchen counter for 4 or 5 months.
• Possibly it would have been ready to caramelize a lot sooner than that but it was in perfect condition for this recipe after months of sitting.

HONEY PEAR CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Securely wrap a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square) around and under a greased 9-in. springform pan. In a bowl, combine crushed gingersnaps and sugar; stir in 4 tablespoons butter, adding more as necessary. Press onto bottom and 1-1/2 in. up sides of prepared pan., Beat cream cheese until fluffy, gradually adding 2/3 cup honey, lemon juice and minced ginger root. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Fold in 1 cup chopped pears and raisins. Pour into crust. Place springform pan in a larger baking pan; add 1 in. hot water to larger pan. Bake until center is just set and top appears dull, 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours. Remove from oven; remove springform from water bath. , Cool cheesecake on a wire rack 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pan with a knife; remove foil. Cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight, covering when completely cooled. Remove rim from pan., In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add remaining honey and pears; cook and stir until pears are tender. Stir in pecans. Top cake with pear-pecan mixture.