Perfect Pair Pear Puffs

Pear halves, encased in puff pastry with a broiled cheese and pecan filling, perform beautifully as either appetizer or dessert.

Original recipe makes 6 puffs

Ingredients

3 medium firm pears
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 package Tenderflake® Frozen Puff Pastry, defrosted
1 egg
FILLING:
1 1/2 cups grated Swiss cheese
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1/2 cup crumbled Cambozola or goat cheese
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

PREP

20 mins
COOK

20 mins
READY IN

45 mins

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Peel pears and cut in half. Remove the seeds leaving the stems intact. Using a teaspoon scrape out the inside of the pear. Save this for later. Brush the pear with lemon juice and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, cut side down.
Remove the pastry from the package and place on a lightly floured work surface. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the pastry to a 10 x 12-inch (25 X 30 cm) rectangle. Cut pastry into 6 equal rectangles, slightly larger than the pears. Cover each pear with a piece of pastry. Using a sharp knife, cut away the excess leaving a well-covered piece of fruit. Save the extra to form little leaves. Pierce the pastry all over with a sharp knife or fork.
Whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of water. Brush the outside of the pastry on the pears with egg wash and use egg wash to adhere little decorative leaves around the stem of each pear.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
Preheat broiler to high.
Mix all of the filling ingredients together in a small bowl along with reserved pear. Turn pears cut side up and divide filling between each. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is beginning to bubble. Serve immediately.