Pear Tart

Getting fresh fruit in our CSA was one of the most exciting things of the holiday season. We joined the Utah Farms CSA in late November. They deliver to our door step every Friday and so far, we have been really surprised and excited about what we have received.  I used both asian pears and bartlett pears in this recipe. The aisan pears are the ones in the picture with the darker color. Asian pears, as their name suggests, are grown in China, Japan, and Korea.  These pears have a high water content and a crisp, grainy texture.  They look much like apples and are usually very fragrant and can last for several weeks in a cold, dry place. I ate these fruits from my neighbors backyard before they arrived in our CSA.  They are delicious plain, but this pastry is great with them.  This dessert is delicious warm and with vanilla ice cream (either homemade or store bought).  Hopefully you like this recipe and enjoy this fruit. 

Ingredients:

1 12 x 8 rectangle puff pastry, defrosted
2 ripe but firm pears (Utah Farms CSA)
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. Defrost puff pastry on the counter for about 1-2 hours (you can make whole wheat, homemade puff pastry but it is really too much work for my busy schedule!).
2. Slice pears and half and then core. Slice pear halves into 1/8-1/4 inch slices.
3. Combine sugars and cinnamon.
4. Unroll puff pastry and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place pear slices on unrolled pastry in a shingle pattern leaving a one inch border all around the sides. Lay the slices as close together as possible.
5. Sprinkle sugar mixture over the pears. Chill tart for 20 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
7. Bake tart at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Turn oven temperature down to 350F and bake another 10-20 minutes or until pastry is a golden brown, fruit is soft and all the sugar has melted. Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.