Hello Friends,
It is a busy and exciting time around here. I have my first book signing in a few days and two more in early December. It is fun planning the menus and I can’t wait to talk to everyone about food!
We are now through the first full week of November. I don’t know about you but I have been thinking about this Thanksgiving since the Friday after last Thanksgiving. I LOVE IT! You know what I don’t love? Pie (with a few exceptions). You know what is almost the only thing on EVERYONE’S dessert table at Thanksgiving? Pie.
Now that I am an adult I always make it a mission to provide an alternative dessert at Thanksgiving. If I’m at home, no problem. If I’m traveling for Thanksgiving I offer to bring a dessert. There are so many fall desserts! Apple Crisp is the perfect fall dessert (and is on p. 137 of the cookbook)! Two years ago I brought Spice Cake to Thanksgiving and everyone loved it! Click here for the recipe (or flip to p. 135 of the cookbook).
Pears are a fantastic fall fruit. In the past I have made Ina’s super easy, crazy delicious Apple Tarts. This past Sunday I made them again but switched out the apples for pears. AMAZING! And when I say easy, I mean easy!
Originally I was going to make the puff pastry. But as I mentioned earlier, we have been busy so I skipped the homemade puff. I know that you know you can buy puff pastry in the freezer section of your grocery store. Sunday was the first day I ever used Trader Joe’s frozen puff pastry. ALL BUTTER puff pastry! Only 5 ingredients listed on the box. If you normally buy a different brand, switch to this reasonably priced, all butter puff. (No, Trader Joe’s does not pay me).
Ready to make dessert? Thaw one sheet of puff pastry and cut into 4 equal squares. Place pear slices on top. Sprinkle with sugar, dot with butter. Bake. Pretty easy, right!?!??!!!
After they come out of the oven brush with thinned/heated apricot jam to make them shiny. Everyone gets their own pretty little dessert. Even the toughest critics are happy.
So consider making this addition to your Thanksgiving dessert table. They are great warm and at room temperature. Non-pie lovers will thank you (so will pie lovers).
Pear Tarts
Makes 4 Tarts
Ingredients:
1 sheet Puff Pastry, defrosted but still cold
2 Pears, slightly firm
8 tsp Sugar, divided
2-3 T cold Butter, small dice
1/4 c Apricot Jam
1 1/2 T water
Preheat oven to 400.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the pastry sheet into 4 equal squares and place at least an inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Place baking sheet in fridge.
Peel and slice pears; about 1/8″ – 1/4″ thick slices.
Place overlapping slices of pears diagonally on the pastry then put one slice on each edge. Repeat with remaining squares.
Sprinkle the pears with sugar, about 2 teaspoons per square.
Evenly dot each square with butter.
Bake for 40 minutes. The edges will look burned but don’t worry, they are fine!
Just before you are going to pull the tarts out of the oven, start heating the jam and water in a small pot. Bring to very low simmer and stir to thin the jam.
When the tarts are out of the oven, use a pastry brush and lightly brush the entire top of the tart (pastry and fruit) with the thinned out jam. This will make them shiny and beautiful.
Move to serving platter and serve warm or at room temperature.
Pear Tarts
Ingredients
- 1 sheet Puff Pastry defrosted but still cold
- 2 Pears slightly firm
- 8 tsp Sugar divided
- 2-3 T cold Butter small dice
- 1/4 c Apricot Jam
- 1 1/2 T water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the pastry sheet into 4 equal squares and place at least an inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Place baking sheet in fridge.
- Peel and slice pears; about 1/8" - 1/4" thick slices. Place overlapping slices of pears diagonally on the pastry then put one slice on each edge. Repeat with remaining squares. Sprinkle the pears with sugar, about 2 teaspoons per square. Evenly dot each square with butter.
- Bake for 40 minutes. The edges will look burned but don't worry, they are fine!
- Just before you are going to pull the tarts out of the oven, start heating the jam and water in a small pot. Bring to very low simmer and stir to thin the jam.
- When the tarts are out of the oven, use a pastry brush and lightly brush the entire top of the tart (pastry and fruit) with the thinned out jam. This will make them shiny and beautiful.
- Move to serving platter and serve warm or at room temperature.
this seems easy, looks really pretty and something i will definitely try. and very soon!!! thanks for sharing.
My pleasure!
Maybe these would be an easier alternative for Thanksgiving……. they sound great!
I’m happy to make whatever they want!
I’m happy to make whatever they want! But I might make these too