Individual Mini Poached Pear Cheesecakes - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar, plus
sugar, for coating the ramekins
2 tablespoons pear brandy
lemon, zest of, three 1/2 inch wide strips
3 inches cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean, split
2 star anise pods
2 whole cloves
2 ripe bartlett pears, peeled, halved lengthwise and cored
1 1/2 lbs cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preparation

In a saucepan, combine 3/4 cup of the sugar with the brandy, lemon zest, cinnamon stick, vanilla bean, star anise, cloves and 1 1/2 cups of water; bring to a boil over high heat, then add the pears; lower the heat, set a plate on the pears to submerge them and simmer until tender, about 3 minutes; transfer the pears to a plate to cool; boil the liquid until reduced to a syrup, about 4 minutes; strain and let cool.
Butter nine 1/2-cup ramekins and coat with sugar; trim the pears so that they're 2 inches long, then slice them 1/4 inch thick; fan the slices, overlapping slightly, in the prepared ramekins and add 1 tsp of the poaching syrup to each.
Preheat oven to 325\u00b0F.
Beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy; beat in the remaining 3/4 cup sugar until smooth, then beat in the mascarpone; add the vanilla and then the eggs, one at a time; spoon the batter into the ramekins and set them in a roasting pan; add enough hot water to the pan to reach two-thirds of the way up the sides of the ramekins; bake for about 35 minutes, or until just set; transfer to a rack to cool, then refrigerate overnight.
Run a knife around each cheesecake and invert onto a plate; spoon a little of the reserved poaching liquid around each cheesecake and serve.