Spiced Pear Puff Pastry Tarts (Printable)
Golden puff pastry with spiced pears, caramel hints, and almonds. An elegant 45-minute dessert.
# What You'll Need:
→ Fruit
01 - 3 ripe pears, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
02 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice
→ Spices & Sugar
03 - 3 tablespoons brown sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
05 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
06 - 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
07 - Pinch of salt
→ Pastry & Extras
08 - 1 sheet (about 9 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed
09 - 1 egg, beaten for egg wash
10 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
11 - 2 tablespoons sliced almonds (optional)
12 - Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, toss the sliced pears with lemon juice, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Set aside to macerate for 10 minutes.
03 - Unroll the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 6 equal rectangles or circles. Arrange them on the prepared baking sheet.
04 - Brush the pastry edges with beaten egg to promote golden browning.
05 - Drain excess liquid from the pears and arrange the slices neatly on the pastry, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
06 - Brush pears with melted butter. Sprinkle with sliced almonds, if using.
07 - Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and crisp.
08 - Let cool slightly, then dust with powdered sugar if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The puff pastry creates these impossibly flaky layers that make people think you spent hours on something that actually comes together in under an hour
- Something magical happens when the pears caramelize in the oven that you cannot quite describe until you taste it warm
02 -
- The first time I made these, I skipped draining the pears and ended up with soggy pastry in the middle, so do not skip that step
- Work quickly once the puff pastry is out of the package because it needs to stay cold to achieve those flaky layers we all love
03 -
- If your puff pastry cracks when you unfold it, just press it back together gently because it will heal during baking
- Freezing the pears for 15 minutes before slicing makes them easier to cut into thin, even pieces