Description
Delight in these elegant Caramelized Pears and Blue Cheese Tarts, featuring flaky puff pastry topped with sweet, buttery caramelized pears, rich gorgonzola blue cheese, and crunchy toasted walnuts. Perfect as a sophisticated appetizer or a unique dessert, these tarts combine savory and sweet flavors harmoniously in a quick and easy-to-make recipe.
Ingredients
Scale
Pastry
- 1 sheet store bought frozen puff pastry, thawed (25 cm x 25 cm / 10″ x 10″)
Caramelized Pears
- 2 pears
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
- Pinch of salt
Other
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (I used gorgonzola)
- 3 tbsp walnuts, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven and prepare baking tray: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking tray with parchment or baking paper for easy cleanup and to prevent sticking.
- Cut puff pastry: Cut the thawed puff pastry sheet into 4 equal squares and transfer them onto the prepared baking tray, spacing them slightly apart.
- Score pastry borders: Using a knife, score a 2/3 inch (1.5 cm) border around each pastry square, being careful not to cut all the way through. This helps the edges puff up during baking.
- Prepare pears: Cut each pear into quarters, remove the core, then slice each quarter into 3 or 4 thin slices to ensure even cooking and caramelization.
- Caramelize pears: In a small frying pan or saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the pear slices, unsalted butter, brown sugar, and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pears soften and the juices combine with butter and sugar to form a sticky syrup.
- Cool pear mixture and egg wash pastry: Remove the pan from heat and let the pear mixture cool for 5 minutes. While cooling, brush the scored border of each pastry square with the lightly beaten egg to create a golden crust.
- Assemble tarts: Spoon the caramelized pear mixture onto each pastry square within the scored borders, making sure not to overflow. Drizzle some of the caramel syrup over the pears for extra flavor.
- Bake tarts and toast walnuts: Bake the tarts in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden brown. For the last 5 minutes of baking, scatter the chopped walnuts on the baking tray to toast gently.
- Cool baked tarts: Remove the tarts from the oven and allow them to cool for about 5 minutes to let the filling set slightly.
- Finish and serve: Top each tart with crumbled blue cheese and the toasted walnuts. Drizzle remaining syrup over the top and serve immediately. Optionally, serve with a side of yogurt to balance the flavors.
Notes
- Note 1: Use a sharp knife to cut the puff pastry for clean edges and even-sized tarts.
- Note 2: Scoring the pastry border without cutting through allows the edges to puff up nicely and hold the filling.
- Note 3: Brushing the egg wash on the border helps to achieve a golden, glossy crust when baked.
