My own morning impulses aside, this lovely little pastry is a beautiful, autumnal dessert and fantastically simple to boot.

It comes together quickly to create an impressive and elegant tart, prime for entertaining… or early-morning snacking







My recipe itself is nearly foolproof. Start with a sheet of thawed puff pastry, brush with heavenly, ginger-spiced, brown sugar-infused butter, and top with sliced pears. Alternating the curvy slices creates a lovely ribbed pattern that elevates the pastry from its humble ingredients list.

A quick trip in the oven, and the puff pastry rises into dozens of flaky layers around the golden, caramelized pears. It’s sweet, and decadent, and almost too easy.

This pastry also takes advantage of the limited lifespan of pears – which I swear are only perfectly ripe for about an hour of their short lives – forgiving even to a slightly less-than-ripe or just so overly-soft specimen.


Try it warm from the oven with a spoonful of vanilla bean ice cream – any time of day!






Ingredients

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry, defrosted
2 pears, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely minced
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp demerara sugar (or sanding sugar)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the puff pastry on a clean, lightly-floured work surface. Cut a rectangle about 7″ wide by 10″ long, or so that the puff-pastry is about 3/4″ wider than the pear slices on each side. Place the pastry on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Combine the butter, brown sugar, ginger, vanilla extract and cinnamon, mixing well. 

Using a pastry brush, generously brush the top of the puff pastry with the butter mixture. Leaving a 3/4″ border, layer the pear slices on top of the puff pastry, alternating directions to create a wave-like pattern.


Brush the top of the pears with the remaining butter mixture, and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for at least ten minutes before slicing. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.



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