Pear, Caramel and Macadamia Cheesecake

This is a vanilla cheesecake in a shortcrust pastry case, with a layer of pear and topped with chopped macadamia nuts in caramel sauce.

This bake was not one without challenges. I don't think I quite made enough pastry as the cheesecake ended up quite thin, being mainly pear than cream cheese mixture. It meant I ended up with a baked dish of cheesecake to go alongside it. I have to say though, the cheesecake mix was delicious. It was made by separating eggs and was therefore light in texture. I'm not sure it needs much more of the cream cheese in the pastry case as it allows for the subtle flavour of the pear to come through well. The caramel and macadamia combination on top is delicious with the pear and cheesecake mix, adding an extra sweetness from the sauce and buttery taste from the nuts. I think a few improvements may be needed in the recipe but the basic flavours worked very well.