Puff Pastry Pear Tart
Frozen puff pastry is the home cook’s secret to baking impressive desserts with ease. Here we top the pastry with thinly sliced pears, then glaze them with a mixture of maple syrup and butter. Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or some whipped cream, if you like.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour for dusting
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (about 14 oz./440 g), thawed
- 1 Bosc pear, thinly sliced lengthwise on a mandoline
- 1 egg beaten with 1 Tbs. water
- 1/3 cup (3 3/4 oz./115 g) maple syrup
- 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon (optional)
- Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
- Vanilla ice cream for serving (optional)
Directions
Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry into a 14-by-11-inch (35-by-28-cm) rectangle. Transfer the pastry to the prepared baking sheet. Arrange the pear slices in a single layer over the pastry, leaving a 1-inch (2.5-cm) border uncovered. Brush the entire surface with the egg wash. Bake for 15 minutes. (The pastry will still be pale.)
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the maple syrup, butter and cinnamon and heat, stirring, until the butter is melted and the mixture is thoroughly combined and quite runny, about 2 minutes.
Remove the tart from the oven and brush the pears lightly with about one-fourth of the maple syrup mixture. Continue baking until the pears are tender and the pastry is golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven. If more browning is desired, preheat the broiler. Place the tart under the broiler until the pastry is a deeper golden color, 30 seconds to 1 minute, watching it carefully to prevent the pastry from burning.
Remove the tart from the oven and brush the pears with the remaining maple syrup mixture. Let cool slightly. Just before serving, dust the tart lightly with confectioners’ sugar. Cut into slices and serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream. Serves 6 to 8.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen