Author Notes: I came across this recipe in the Entertaining Guide of Victoria Magazine. The changes I made were to increase the amount of pears, use regular cream cheese and I added a bit of salt. Perfect for entertaining because your guests can serve themselves. Creamy and sweet pairs perfectly with a crisp white wine. Serve with Carr’s Rosemary Crackers it is simply delicious…a real crowd pleaser! —The Galley Gourmet
Makes: 1 8" torta
Ingredients
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3
tablespoons unsalted butter
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1/3
cup granulated sugar
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6
large green D’Anjou pears chopped into a dice
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4
(8-ounce) packages of cream cheese at room temperature
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2
cups grated Gruyèyre cheese, finely grated
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1
pinch of kosher salt
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1
cup finely chopped pistachio nuts
Directions
- In a large non-stick sauté pan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add pears and sugar and stir until combined. Cook for 12-15 minutes until liquid thickens and pears begin to caramelize. Remove from heat. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool completely.
- In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and Gruyère. Using a hand held mixer beat at medium speed until well combined.
- Line an 8-inch round cake pan with plastic wrap. Spread half the cheese mixture in the bottom of the pan. Spread half the cooled pear mixture over the cheese. Top with the remaining cheese mixture. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
- Invert the torta onto a serving dish and remove the pan. Carefully remove the pan and plastic wrap. Cover sides of torta with pistachio nuts and top with the remaining pears. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with plain or rosemary crackers and a crisp white wine
