PEAR CRUMB CHEESECAKE BARS
I love pears anytime and sometimes I overlook how great they can be in a dessert. Firm shortbread-style crust, creamy cheesecake filling with a tasty pear crumb topping. Pears are a great immune system booster and also help prevent cancer. They also contain quite a bit of fiber, which is always a good thing to keep the digestive tract healthy. Cheesecakes are a great way to enjoy desserts and still stay on track, I find, because they are so satiating. Making cheesecake squares is even easier than baking a whole cheesecake, plus they freeze so nicely as well.
Thick
Crust: (or use your favorite, substantial low-carb crust)
6 tbsp butter, melted (90 mL)
Liquid sweetener to equal 1/2 cup (125 mL)
sugar
Cheesecake Filling:
24 oz cream cheese (750 g)
3 eggs
11/2 tsp almond extract (7 mL)
Pears:
4 small pears (16 oz, 454 g)
1 tsp lemon juice (5 mL)
2 tbsp powdered erythritol
(30 mL)
2 tsp cornstarch (10 mL)
1 tsp cinnamon (5 mL)
1/4 tsp
nutmeg (1 mL)
1/2 cup
chopped pecans, optional (125 mL)
2 tbsp powdered erythritol
(30 mL)
3 tbsp butter, melted (45 mL)
to taste
Thick
Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). In medium bowl, place Gluten-Free Bake Mix. In small bowl, combine melted
butter and liquid sweetener. Stir into
bake mix and press crust in 9 x 13-inch (2 L) casserole dish. Bake 15 minutes.
Cheesecake
Filling: In food processor, process cream cheese. Add eggs one at a time; process. Add liquid sweetener, powdered erythritol and
almond extract; process. Pour over baked
crust.
Pears: Peel and core pears. Chop finely.
Sprinkle with lemon juice and toss.
In small bowl, combine erythritol, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg. Sprinkle over pears and toss. Spoon evenly over cream cheese layer.
Streusel
Topping: In medium bowl, combine Gluten-Free Bake Mix, chopped pecans and powdered erythritol. In small bowl, combine melted butter and
liquid sweetener. Stir into pecan
mixture. If it is too moist, add a
little more bake mix. Sprinkle evenly
over pears.
Bake
40 minutes, or until set and the Streusel Topping is turning brown in places.
Yield:
25 servings
1
square
214.0
calories
5.6
g protein
18.5
g fat