With a name like baby cheesecakes with toffee pears, who wouldn’t want to make this delicious dessert?

Cheesecakes tend to come with a stigma that they are hard to make and require a lot of time. I woke up one morning knowing that I wanted to make cheesecake without making it an all-day affair. This recipe was easy to follow, even after a drink or maybe three. I do suggest if you are making these while drinking to use an actual timer for the baking process rather than looking at your phone and swearing you will remember what time you put them in the oven.

Nonetheless, the baby cakes turned out fantastic. I know this because my friend said after he took a bite, “I will PAY you to make these for me again!”

Prep: 40 min Bake: 28 min Oven temp: 350 F Cool: 30 min
Ingredients
¾ cup quick-cooking rolled oats (I used Quaker)
¼ cup finely chopped walnuts
¼ cup packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 egg
½ cup crumbled blue cheese
¼ cup sour cream
2 tablespoons butter
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons whipping cream
4 cups sliced pears (about 3 or 4 pears)
½ teaspoon vanilla
crumbled blue cheese and walnuts as toppings

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 8 muffin tins with foil or paper cups (or lightly grease the muffin tins). Set aside.

Crust: Take out a medium size bowl and mix together the oats, ¼ cup chopped walnuts, ¼ cup brown sugar and three tablespoons melted butter. Mix with hands and make sure to get all the butter worked into the other items. Try not to lick your fingers after. This will be one of the hardest parts of the recipe.

Spoon about two tablespoons into each muffin tin. Press down lightly, making a slight concave in the crust. Pop in the oven for eight minutes or until golden brown. Take out of the oven and cool but do not take crusts out of pan. Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Filling: Beat cream cheese until smooth, then add the egg, blue cheese, sour cream and mix until all combined.
Spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling onto each muffin cup.

Bake about 20 minutes or until cheesecake is set. (Touch with your finger, and if it is slightly firm then it is set). While you have twenty minutes, I suggest you slice your pears!

Put the cheesecakes into the refrigerator to cool and begin to make the toffee pears.
In a large skillet melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add the ½ cup of brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of cream. Cook and stir until bubbly; add sliced pears. Cook another five minutes or until pears are tender. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

To serve

Take cooled cheesecakes and place on plate. Spoon mixture of toffee pears on top and around cheesecake. Sprinkle with crushed walnuts and blue cheese.
Enjoy!