Ginger Cookie And Cream Cheese Pear Salad

Total Time: 25 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• 4 pears, i like anjour pears (cored and cut into wedges, about 4 slices per half, leave the skin on)
• 1/2 head romaine lettuce, rough chopped
• 1/2 head iceberg lettuce, rough chopped
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise (no miracle whip or low fat)
• 16 gingersnaps, not the soft cookies, the hard crispy ones (10 for the dressing, 6 for the garnish)
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot, fine chopped

Recipe

• 1 gingersnaps -- just add all the cookies to a baggie and crush with a rolling pin or meat mallet. you can also use a food processor, but the baggie is so much easier. about 2/3 will go to the cream cheese dressing and 1/3 for a garnish. just set to the side.
• 2 cream cheese dressing -- in a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, mayonnaise and add 2/3 rd's of the ginger snaps, mix well to combine. set to the side room temperature.
• 3 dressing -- mix the honey, orange juice and shallot. once again, set to the side.
• 4 pears -- peel the pears and cut into wedges.
• 5 salad -- in a medium size bowl, add the iceberg, romaine and a couple of tablespoons of the dressing and toss lightly.
• 6 plating -- for each plate, add the dressed lettuce, then top with 1 pear (or about 8 slices per plate) sliced in wedges and plated in a spiral around the center of the plate. then, in the center add a spoon of the cream cheese mixture. drizzle a little of the dressing over the pears and top with the chopped pecans and remaining gingerbread cookies.
• 7 enjoy! it is a sweet starter salad but it is absolutely great with the tangy cream cheese.