TARTED UP FOR THE WEEKEND

Happy Friday! I haven't much planned for the weekend...unemployment can do that to you. I am looking forward to catching up with friends and of course, baking something magical. If you have a spare half hour, here's something to keep you busy - I made these pear tartlets for a mid-week treat and boy did they go down well!

RECIPE

Serves 6

- Ready rolled puff pastry sheet (320g)

- 3 firm pears

- 1 tbsp lemon juice

- 100ml white wine

- 75g ground almonds

- 2 tbsp honey

- 50ml double cream

- 6 cloves and 6 pumpkin seeds

- 1 egg (beaten)

- 1 tbsp apricot jam

1. Preheat oven to 220°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

2. Peel, half and core the pears. Bring pear halves to the boil in a pan with the lemon juice and wine. Cover and stew over a low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain pears. 

3. Combine almonds, honey and cream. On a lightly floured surface, cut the pastry into 6 pear shaped pieces with stems. I used this as a stencil. They should be at least 2.5cm larger all round than the pear halves. 

4. Shape the remaining pastry into leaves and press onto stems.  Place pear shaped pastry onto a baking tray and prick several times with a fork. Spread almond filling in the middle of each pastry, leaving a 1cm wide margin. 

5. Make several incisions along the length of the round side of each pear half with the tines of the fork; place the fruit flat side down on the almond filling. Place the cloves in the pears for the blossoms and pumpkin seeds as the stems. Brush pastry edges with  beaten egg. Bake for 15-20 minutes on the bottom of the oven (I did this so the pastry would cook on the underneath quicker, but move it to the middle of the oven for the last 5 minutes). Brush with jam while warm. 

I dusted with icing sugar and served with vanilla ice-cream!