Baked Pear & Amaretto Cheesecake with Del Monte

If you’re of my generation (40 something and rapidly heading towards 50) you’ll probably remember the Sunday tea time treat of tinned fruit and evaporated milk that you used to have.  It’s not something you tend to see too often now though.  However tinned fruit is not just tasty and convenient, but it’s a good source of vitamins and minerals.  A product no longer confined to just grabbing the tin opener, opening the tin and pouring the contents into a bowl before smothering it with evaporated milk or ice cream; or simply just placing a ring of pineapple on to your gammon steak; you can use it in many different recipes, to prepare delicious food without the faff and fuss of having to peel, slice and prepare it yourself.

I’ve adapted a baked cheesecake recipe that I use and have incorporated a tin of Del Monte pears which pair perfectly with almonds and Amaretto for an added depth of flavour.

Base:

• 50g Unsalted butter
• 8 Digestive biscuits, crushed

Cheesecake:

• 400g Philadelphia Cheese
• 250g Mascarpone Cheese
• 410g Del Monte tinned pears, drained
• 3 Eggs
• 60ml Amaretto
• 15g Ground almonds
• 75g Caster sugar

1. Heat the oven to 190ºC (170º Fan).
2. Line a 20cm / 8” spring form tin with baking parchment.
3. Melt the butter, add this to the crushed biscuits and mix together thoroughly.

4. Pour this biscuit mixture into the base of your prepared tin and press down evenly.

5. Place in the fridge to cool whilst you prepare your cheesecake filling.
6. In a food processor, add 150g of the drained pears, the Philadelphia and mascarpone cheeses, the eggs, Amaretto, almonds and the sugar.  I find that using my Kenwood food processor makes this an incredibly easy and quick process
7. Blitz these together until smooth.

8. Drain the remaining pears from the juice and cut into approx. 5mm pieces.
9. Stir the pear pieces into the cheesecake mixture to evenly distribute.
10. Pour this mixture over the biscuit base in the tin.

11. Bake in the oven for approx. 40 mins until the top has started to colour and there is still a very slight ‘wobble’ in the middle of the cheesecake.

12. Turn off the oven, but leave the cheesecake in there, with the door slightly open until it’s cooled completely. (Leaving the cheesecake to cool slowly in the oven allows it set fully and prevents it from cracking).
13. Remove the cheesecake from the tin and serve, cut in to small slices.

I was sent a selection of canned fruits from Del Monte along with a gift voucher to purchase additional ingredients with to develop this recipe.