Pear Puff Pastry

Total Time Prep: 35 min. Bake: 25 min.
Yield 4 servings
Test Kitchen Approved
Savor the flavors of fall with this irresistible pear puff pastry recipe. Juicy poached pears wrapped in golden, flaky pastry and topped with a luscious vanilla bean syrup create a stunning dessert that's perfect for an autumn dinner party.

Ingredients

  • 4 small pears
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup honey
  • 1 small lemon, halved
  • 3 cinnamon sticks (3 inches)
  • 6 to 8 whole cloves
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions

  1. Core pears from bottom, leaving stems intact. Peel pears; cut 1/4 in. from the bottom of each to level if necessary.
  2. In a large saucepan, combine the water, sugar, honey, lemon halves, cinnamon and cloves. Split vanilla bean and scrape seeds; add bean and seeds to sugar mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; place pears on their sides in saucepan and poach, uncovered, until almost tender, basting occasionally with poaching liquid, 16-20 minutes.
  3. Remove pears with a slotted spoon; cool slightly. Strain and reserve 1-1/2 cups poaching liquid; set aside.
  4. Unfold puff pastry on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 1/2-in.-wide strips. Brush lightly with beaten egg. Starting at the bottom of a pear, wrap a pastry strip around pear, adding additional strips until pear is completely wrapped in pastry. Repeat with remaining pears and puff pastry.
  5. Transfer to a parchment-lined 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake on a lower oven rack at 400° until golden brown, 25-30 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, bring reserved poaching liquid to a boil; cook until liquid is thick and syrupy, about 10 minutes. Place pears on dessert plates and drizzle with syrup. Serve warm.

Nutrition Facts

1 pear with 3 tablespoons syrup: 518 calories, 17g fat (4g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 205mg sodium, 92g carbohydrate (49g sugars, 9g fiber), 5g protein.

A honey of a salute to late-summer pear season, this cozy dessert looks both elegant and decadent. Wrapped in puff pastry, the pears resemble little beehives. —Heather Baird, Knoxville, Tennessee
Recipe Creator

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