Spiced Pear and Puff Pastry Tarts (Printable)
Buttery puff pastry topped with tender, spiced pears and hint of caramel, baked to golden perfection—an elegant yet easy dessert.
# What You 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 (approximately 9 oz) 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)
# How To Cook:
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 to 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 contrast between shatteringly crisp pastry and tender, fragrant pears is the kind of elegant dessert that somehow feels completely effortless
- These look like something from a French patisserie but come together in under an hour with mostly pantry ingredients
02 -
- I once forgot to drain the excess liquid from the pears and ended up with soggy pastry bottoms, which was honestly tragic
- Working quickly once the pastry is thawed matters—it can get soft and tricky to handle if it warms up too much
03 -
- Keep your puff pastry cold until the moment it goes into the oven for the flakiest results
- If the edges start browning too quickly, tent them loosely with foil for the last few minutes of baking