Looking for holiday cheese recipes? Try this savory cheesecake or our Honey Mascarpone Cheesecake with Strawberries for the perfect dessert. Peruse our online store to source American-made artisan cheeses and gear for parties, gift-giving, and more. 

This unconventional cheesecake recipe combines savory blue cheese with sweet in the form of a cookie-like almond florentine crust and rich, mellow cooked pear. Serve it as an appetizer in small slivers or as an after-dinner bite. 

I recommend a creamy, buttery blue such as Fourme D’Ambert. The buttery notes from this style of blue cheese mellow out any overbearing notes typical to other blue cheeses, and its texture makes the cheese easy to blend. The result is a dish that combines deep umami and wintry fruit flavors.

The cheesecake pairs well with light bodied red wines such as pinot noir or a brighter, fruitier white wine such as Riesling.

Recipe (adapted from the Seattle Times)

Makes 24 small servings

For the crust:

• 4TB Butter
• 2/3 cup Sugar
• 1/4 cup Honey
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup Cream
• 3/4 cup Almonds
• 1/4 cup Chopped Walnuts
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/3 cup Bread Flour

Filling:

• 1 pound (two 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, room temperature
• 8 ounces creamy blue cheese, such as Fourme D’Ambert
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 eggs

Pears:

• 4 fresh, firm pears such as Bosc
• 1 1/2 cups cabernet sauvignon
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Pinch salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a spring form pan and set aside. Bring the butter, sugar, and honey to a boil in a small sauce pan. Whisk the egg and temper it into your butter mixture. Add the toasted nuts, flour, and cream to the egg and butter mixture and stir together. Pour this into the spring form pan and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the Florentine is a light golden brown. Allow the crust to cool and harden completely.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cream cheese, blue cheese, flour and sugar. Mix on medium-low until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl several times. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating and scraping the bowl in between until the eggs are thoroughly incorporated.
3. Pour the filling into the crust pan and bake for another 30 to 40 minutes, or until the center just barely jiggles when you shake the pan and the top slightly puffs. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours (and up to 2 days) before serving.
4. To prepare the pears, peel (or don’t peel) the pears, then cut each half lengthwise. Scoop out and discard the core.
5. In a deep sauté pan, combine the wine, vinegar, sugar and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer and add the pears, core side down. Allow the mixture to simmer until the liquid is syrupy and the pears are caramelized and tender, occasionally basting the pears with the liquid, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate.
6. When ready to serve, run a knife around the edge of the springform pan to loosen the cheesecake. Remove the sides of the pan. If desired, run a long spatula under the crust and slide the cake onto a serving plate. Top the cheesecake with the caramelized pears.