an adaptation

With an intense craving for sweets one night and being quite lacking in ingredients, I made these pear almond cheesecake tartlettes, adapting the cheesecake recipe from alpineberry. They turned out really pretty and tasty. The filling is almost custard-like, contrasting nicely with the crust. You can bake them longer to get a firmer cheesecake. Unfortunately I didn't have almonds on hand, but I'm sure using them in the crust and also sprinkled on top would enhance the flavor and appearance of the tartlettes.

Pear Almond Cheesecake Tartlettes

Crust:
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup oats*
1/8 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
2 1/2 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp honey

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese (softened)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 medium egg, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
3 tbsp butter, melted

Topping:
2 pears, sliced thin
**

For crust:
Combine flour, sugar, oats, baking soda, and salt. Stir in honey and melted butter until mixture is crumbly. Place about 1 1/2 tbsp of mixture into each mini tart pan, and press down. Bake in a 350 degrees preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until golden. Remove and let cool.

For filling:
While the crust is cooling, beat cream cheese with sugar until mixture is smooth and the sugar has dissolved. Mix in egg until combined. Stir in vanilla and almond extract, and melted butter. Mixture should be smooth and free of lumps.

To assemble:
Pour filling into cooled crust, about 3/4 full. Arrange pear slices on top. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for 30 minutes until top is golden and cheesecake is set.

Let cheesecake cool before topping with sifted powdered sugar.

*substitute with 1/3 cup coarsely ground almonds
**top finished cheesecake with toasted sliced almonds