Pear Puff Pastry (Printable)
Flaky puff pastry topped with tender pears and apricot glaze for a golden, elegant dessert.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pear Filling
01 - 3 ripe pears, peeled, cored, and sliced
02 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
03 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
04 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
→ Pastry
05 - 1 sheet (8.8 oz) frozen puff pastry, thawed
→ Additional
06 - 1 large egg, beaten (for egg wash)
07 - 2 tablespoons apricot jam (for glaze)
08 - 1 tablespoon water (for glaze)
09 - All-purpose flour, for dusting work surface
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
02 - In a mixing bowl, gently toss the peeled, cored, and sliced pears with granulated sugar, lemon juice, and ground cinnamon until evenly coated. Set aside to macerate.
03 - On a lightly floured surface, roll out the thawed puff pastry sheet to smooth any seams. Cut into 6 even rectangles.
04 - Arrange several pear slices in the center of each pastry rectangle, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges.
05 - Fold the edges of each pastry rectangle slightly over the pear filling to form a rustic rim.
06 - Brush the exposed pastry edges generously with beaten egg to ensure a glossy, golden finish after baking.
07 - Transfer assembled pastries to the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the pastry is puffed and golden and the pears are tender.
08 - While pastries bake, warm the apricot jam and water in a small saucepan over low heat until melted and liquid. Strain through a fine mesh sieve if desired for a smoother glaze.
09 - Remove pastries from the oven and, while still warm, brush the pear filling with the prepared apricot glaze. Allow to cool slightly before serving warm or at room temperature.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It looks like something from a Parisian bakery window but requires zero pastry skills to pull off.
- The apricot glaze is a small trick that makes everything glisten like you spent hours when it really took seconds.
02 -
- Do not overload the pastry with pears or the juices will spill over the rim and burn on the pan. Less is genuinely more here.
- The apricot glaze must go on while the pastries are still warm. Once they cool, the glaze will not adhere properly and you lose that gorgeous shine.
03 -
- Thaw your puff pastry in the refrigerator overnight rather than on the counter. It stays colder, handles better, and puffs more dramatically in the oven.
- Slice the pears relatively thin, about three millimeters, so they soften fully during the baking time without turning to complete mush.